Butterfly Effect
by HighLadyoftheCourtofDreams
Summary: -How is that possible that the smallest detail, the smallest mistake is able to change an entire lifetime?-
1. Prologue

**_A/N: So, I won't lie, I love Until Dawn, so I thought, why no writing a fanfic about it? So here it is. It mainly evolves around the Sam x Josh ship and takes place after the 'Everybody Lives' ending. Enjoy, and don't forget to review, follow and favorite. Also, I haven't stopped writing my other stories, I am just really busy. However, I will try to upload at least a chapter per week (maybe per story, dunno…)_**

It's been a year since the horrendous mountain trip of the seven friends.

….

"So… It's our one year anniversary and I was hoping that you guys could help me to set up something awesome." Said Ashley as we we were window shopping in downtown.

"Of course we will. Right Sam?" Said Jessica turning to me.

"Yeah… Totally." I murmured.

"We should so find you a boyfriend…" Says Ashley and I try to protest my Jessica cuts me off.

"Totes. How about Mike's best friend. He is like, smoking hot…" She says and Ashley nods.

"I bet he is, but I don't think I am ready for this yet."

"Sam…. It's been a year. You need to move on." Said Ashley and placed her hand on my shoulder.

"I-I just, I don't feel like that is what I want right now…"

"Oh Sam… Waiting for your prince, with shiny armor, to come and take you away with his white horse." Said Jessica and I couldn't help it, but smile.

"A girl can dream." I joke.

"Sure thing, Cinderella." Says Ashley.

"Crap. I'm late for my date with Mike. Need to go."

"Have fun." I say as she half-runs to her car.

After Jessica left, Ashley and me walked for a bit and then she gave me a ride home.

"Sam…?" Says Ashley as I enter my apartment.

"Yeah?" I ask, holding the door half-closed.

"You should know that you totally deserve that prince we were talking about, ok?"

"Thanks, Ash." I say and give her a hug.

"I mean it. Oh, and I'll give you a ring when I need help with the anniversary dinner setting up."

"Don't hesitate."

"You know I wouldn't." Were the last words she said as the elevator doors closed.

…

I was chilling on my couch and watching Tv when the doorbell rang. I got up wondering who could it be. My hand slowly turned the door handle and pulled the door open. My heart almost stopped when I saw the familiar face.

"Hello, Sam." Said the voice that haunted me in my dreams for a year now.

"Josh." I said, my voice trembling.


	2. Chapter 1

**_A/N: Next chapter. Thanks for all the feedback. As always, stay tuned and don't forget to leave a review, follow and favorite. Also, spreading the word about it would really help. And everyone of you who is good at drawing, you don't know how amazing it would be if you made a Sam x Josh fan art that I could totally use for cover. And last but not least, we need a ship name about those two._**

"The one and only."

"You are alive." I stated still shocked.

"Yep." He said while I fought the urge to hug him.

"H-How?" I said bitting my lip.

"Can I come in?" He said, while I was staring at his emerald green eyes; the exact same tone as mine.

"Sure…" I murmured and stepped aside to let him enter the house.

He walked in and sat on the couch I was sitting on before he came. The Tv was still open.

"Cute PJs." He said and I unconsciously looked down.

I was wearing my favorite pair of pajamas. There were pink with black strips and were really comfy, but mostly important, Hannah had given them for my birthday, three years ago.

"Thanks." I said while sitting on the same couch, keeping some distance form him.

"So, I have some explaining to do, huh?" He said and I nodded.

God, he looked so normal. It was almost like it was before Beth and Hannah disappeared. I had missed that Josh. That Josh that made me smile, that Josh that was there for me that Josh that I-

"Well, after Mike left me in the small cabin, a wendigo grabbed me and started carrying me towards the mines." Started Josh interrupting my thoughts.

"It injured me pretty badly, but didn't kill me. Then, out of a sudden, it leaves me and starts chasing somebody." He continues.

"Chris and the… _flamethrower guy…_ " I said, feeling bad for not knowing the name of the man who sacrificed his life for us.

"Chris?" Said Josh clearly surprised.

"Yeah… When he learned about the wendigos he said he couldn't let you die."

That made Josh flash one of those rare smiles.

"Anyway… I crawled back to the cabin and locked my self up. Then I waited and waiting until people came and found me. They informed my family, about everything, and my parents begged that nobody knew about my survival. After that, I visited a psychologist that helped me solve my problems. I am now taking a few meds, but my doc is positive that in few months I won't need them." Said Josh after a while.

"Wow…" I whispered.

"Yeah, I know."

We stared at each other for a while, until he spoke again.

"So, the reason I came here, is to ask you a favor."

"A favor?" I asked, really surprised.

"Yeah… Well, I wanted to ask you to gather the others so I could apologize properly to all of you guys. And then I promise I will get away from you." He said.

"I can do that."

"Really? Thanks Sam…"

"Josh…?" I said after a while.

"Yes?"

"Why did you came to me?"

He smiled bitterly and then approached me.

"Because Sam, I thought you deserved the biggest apology. You didn't deserve any of these."

"I could have stopped the prank Josh." I said tears dropping off my eyes.

"At least you didn't took place in it Sam."

"Chris didn't take place in it. Who do I deserve the biggest apology." I asked.

"Because you were always special Samantha." He said and his hand slowly swiped the tears of my face.

His actions gave me shivers, but not because I was afraid of him.

"Ok. Call me if you arrange the meeting, ok?" He said and abruptly got up.

"Ok…" I said my voice trembling again.

For a reason I couldn't explain, I didn't want to let him go. I had just found him again, I couldn't let him slip away. I knew I shouldn't be feeling that way for the man that had played such a sick prank on us, almost causing us to die, but I couldn't help my self.

"Josh." I said causing to stop as he was exiting my apartment.

He turned and looked at me.

"I am really glad that you are alive." I blurted in a moment of bluntness.

He just smiled.

"Goodnight Sam. Sleep well." He said before closing the door behind him.

As I started at the door, something told me that for the first time, I would actually sleep well.


	3. Chapter 2

**_A/N: Thanks for all the support, its crazy. I also wanted to say that this is more of a preparatory chapter. The next chapter is going to be more interesting and probably longer. Furthermore, what do you think of the ship name 'Jam' ? (Suggested by Hwinn) Last but not least, enjoy, and don't forget: Stay tuned for updates, review, follow and favorite._**

I open my eyes knowing that today was going to be one hell of a day. I reach my phone wondering who I should call first. It doesn't take me much time to decide dialing Chris' number. He looked up to Josh and they were something like best friends.

"Um… Chris? It's Sam."

"Hello Sam." He said from the phone.

"I don't really know how to start…"

"Fire away." Said Chris in his usual tone.

"Ok, but you may want to sit down."

"What's wrong?"

I take a deep breath and blurt it out.

"Josh is alive."

"WHAT?! How?!"

"Um… He wants to meet all 7 of us to explain and apologize."

"When? Where?"

"He didn't really set time and place, but I think it would be fine tomorrow, around 6 p.m at my place."

"I'm in. What about the others?"

I was really surprised that he accepted right away, however it made me feel a little bit better. I wasn't the only one that saw Josh as his old self, and not the psychopath that mentally tortured us and almost led us to death.

"Well… You are the first I called and I hoped you could help me with the others… It means a lot to Josh."

"Of course. I'll talk Ashley into it."

"Thanks, Chris." I say and almost hung up.

"Sam?" His voice stops me from ending the call.

"Yeah?"

"Why did he call _you_?"

"I… Um… I don't know." I said, not correcting him on the call part, being sure it would make things worse.

I knew that if I told my friends what he said to me, things would get complicated.

 _You were always special._

His words echoed in my head like the sweetest melody. I didn't know how interpret it, but I was 100% sure that if I involved my friends, it would get worse. I could almost listen Jessica in my head telling me that he was totally flirting with me and then Chris saying that he was just being like a big brother or something.

"Ok… See you." Said Chris and hung up.

This is going well. At least two people will show up for sure. Now its time to call Jessica.

As I wait for her to pick it up, I think about how a year ago, we didn't exactly have the perfect relationship, but now were something like besties. Well, _I_ would never use that exact same term, but she had made a quite big addition to my vocabulary.

"Yes?"

"Jess, it's Sam."

"Did you thought about my offer and now you want to me to arrange you a date with Mike's friend?"

"No, no… Still loyal to the prince." I said while laughing.

"What do you need, then, your majesty."

I laughed again.

"A favor…"

"Name it."

"What if I told you that Josh Washington was alive?"

"I wouldn't believe you." Said Jessica in a casual tone

"You really should though, because he is. And he wants to meet all of us to apologize."

"No freaking way."

"Yeah…"

"Who else knows?"

"Chris and possibly Ashley."

"Are they coming?"

"Yes."

"Sam, I don't know if Mike can do this."

"Please Jess."

"I will try my best; meaning I will probably convince him. You know, _my persuasion can build up nations…_ " She said singing the lyrics from Beyonce's song (Run the world)

"Thanks, Jess." I said giggling at her little impromptu singing.

It was really wonderful, the way she could make me smile and laugh even in the most depressing times.

"You totally owe me, though."

"Okay…" I say.

I normally never agree to owing something to Jessica, but desperate times call for drastic measures.

"Don't forget. Tomorrow, 6 p.m, my place."

"We will be there." She says and hangs up.

I am certain, that it will be easier for her. She never experienced any of Josh's pranks. All the pain that she felt was only caused by the wendigos.

…..

Persuading Emily was nearly impossible. Fortunately, Matt talked some sense into her and they promised to come. So, it was time for the last phone call.

"Josh? It's Sam."

Why was my voice trembling whenever I talked to him?

"Sam!" He said my name like I was his favorite person in the world and made me feel really stupid for actually believing it.

He was just happy to hear from me because I was the bridge between his old friends and him.

"What happened?" He sounded eager and curious.

"They all promised to come. Tomorrow, 6 p.m, my place."

"That's great. But, why your place?"

Nobody had questioned the choice of the place, so the question surprised me a bit.

"Um… Because I thought we needed some privacy. Is there any problem with that?"

"No, none whatsoever… Thanks again, Sam." He said and hung up.

I closed my eyes and fell on the couch.


	4. Chapter 3

**_A/N: I wanted to say thanks for all the support again. You guys are amazing. I hope you enjoy this chapter and as always, stay tuned for updates, follow and favorite. (Ship name update: New suggestion by lucykalysah, how about 'Josam'?)_**

It was 6 p.m, and all seven of us were anticipating Josh's arrival. Most of them had arrived half an hour early so we had spent our waiting time staring blankly at the Tv. We didn't talk, as there wasn't some brave enough to start a conversation.

The bell rang startling us. I silently swore as soon as I remember I was the one that had to open the door. I took a deep breath and got up. I slowly walked towards the door and opened it after receiving some reassuring glances from my friends. Josh's eyes met mine; he was really hesitant. I gave him a reassuring smile and stepped aside, letting him enter.

As he walked in the living room everybody stared at him, as if he was a ghost or something. Well… He kind of was for us. We had mourned him for months, and now he was alive, right in front of us.

"Hello." He said, facing them.

He waited a little bit, giving them some time to react in some way, but nobody moved.

"I should start by telling you how sorry I am."

Still, no response.

"I wish I could go back in time and never do the shit I did. I was not mentally stable back then, but now, with my doc's help and some medicine I am A-Okay."

Then, all of a sudden, Chris got up and bro-hugged Josh.

"I missed you cochise." Said Josh hugging Chris back.

"Me too, bro. I mean, I missed _you._ The _real you._ " Replied Chris.

"I missed the real me too."

I couldn't help but smile.

After Chris gestured her to come, Ashley slowly got up from the couch and positioned her self behind Chris, using him as a barrier between Josh and her.

"Ashley, I apologize for my sick _experiments_. And generally for everything I put you through." Said Josh giving her a hopeful look.

Ashley looked at him, but stayed speechless.

"Ashley…" Said Chris, encouraging her to say something.

"I am sorry… I can't." Blurted Ashley and faded into the kitchen.

Chris gave Josh an apologetic look and ran behind his girlfriend.

I could feel Josh panicking. I knew I couldn't let that happen, I needed to calm him down.

I approached him slowly.

"Josh." I whispered.

He turned and looked at me. I did my best to focus on him and not at the multiple pairs of eyes that stare at us, waiting for our next move.

"Don't worry. They just need some time…" I said almost under my breath, wanting our conversation to be private.

My hand unconsciously fell on his. After completely realizing what I did, I pulled it away, wishing my friends didn't see it.

Afraid to look at Josh, I announced that I was going to the kitchen to check up on Chris and Ash.

"Guys…" I said while walking in and closing the door behind me.

"Hey, Sam." Said Chris.

Ashley just gave me a look.

"Ash… Are you ok?" I asked while placing a hand on her shoulder.

"No. Should I be? That guy is a psycho. How can you be so casual around him?"

I opened my mouth to try to explain my self, but luckily, my brain started working just in time, to understand she was talking to Chris.

"Ashley, deep inside he is the old Josh."

"I don't care who he is deep inside. I just know that he mentally traumatized us, he almost killed us."

Both Chris and me looked down. We knew she was absolutely right and couldn't disagree to a single word she said.

"Ash… He doesn't want you to be best friends; he just wants you to tell him that you don't think he is a complete monster with no future. All he asks is a second chance." I said.

"Everybody deserves a second chance." Added Chris.

"So you are suggesting I go out there and pretend everything is ok?"

"No. We are just saying, you go out there and give him a faint glint of hope."

Ashley took a deep breath.

"Ok." She said under her breath.

I flashed a proud smile at her and we all walked out of the kitchen.

"Wow." Was my sole response to what I just saw.

Mike, who had Jessica to his side, was shaking Josh's hand.

Josh, who noticed my presence, turned at me and flashed me a huge smile.

"Mike and Jessica say that they forgive me." He said like a little kid on christmas morning.

I couldn't help but my smile at how enthusiastic he was.

"Well… We said what's in the past doesn't really matter now, but… yeah…" Said Mike.

But Mike's correction didn't beat Josh down. For him it was the same.

"I guess we agree to that, right Em?" Said Matt, fueling Josh's smile.

Emily just shrugged.

"Thanks guys, I really appreciate this." Said Josh, still smiling.

However, his smile faded a little bit when his eyes fell on Ashley.

"Josh, I…" She started but Josh cut her off.

"Look, Ashley. I don't expect you to be fine with me. I did some pretty horrible stuff to you… But what matters, is that at least I apologized, even if you don't believe me."

His words were so truthful, that it made Ashley change the plan.

"I believe you, I do. And I wanna forgive you, Josh, but I don't know if I can."

"That means a lot to me. And I really wish one day you do." He said and gave her a smile.

Surprising us all, Ashley gave him a faint smile in return.

"So… I made a promise, that if you agreed to meet me, I would disappear completely from your life. I guess this is goodbye."

"Josh… You don't have to-" Started Chris but got cut off by Josh.

"It will be easier that way, cochise."

Chris opened his mouth to protest, but he changed his mind and hugged Josh. The other goodbyes weren't as warm as Chris's; there are mostly a tap on the shoulder or a hand shake. However, Josh seemed more than happy with that.

Josh turned to me and I knew it's my time to say goodbye, but I didn't want to do it in front of my friends.

"I'll walk you out." I offered, hoping he would understand I wanted some privacy with him.

"Ok." He agreed.

The others gave us surprised looks as we exited the apartment, but I ignored them. I closed the door behind me and we walked several feet away from the door, making eavesdropping impossible.

"Thanks again, Sam." He said and all of a sudden pulled me into a hug.

I almost melted. His muscular body collided with mine. I felt his warmth and it made me feel like everything was going to be ok.

When he pulled away and headed towards the elevator I tried to speak.

"Josh…" I said under my breath, but he didn't hear me.

"Josh." I said, this time louder.

"Yeah?" He turned and looked straight into my eyes.

"What if- what if I told you I don't want you gone?"

I did not know what fueled that sentence. It might have been courage or desperation. Probably both.

His gentle expression turned into a furious one.

"Then you would be really stupid." He snorted.

"I guess I am." I said and bit my lip.

"Sam." He said and gave me an angry look.

My sole response was to look down. I did not understand why he acted that way. I thought he liked me…

"Sam." He repeated, more aggressively than before. He grabbed my hands and pulled me closer to him.

"You should hate me."

His actions were aggressive and violent, like his expression, but the only thing I could focus on was how close we were. I could almost feel his breath.

"They say there is a thin line between hate and love." I whispered.

My response made him sad.

"This doesn't make any sense. You can't love me." He said his voice trembling.

"And yet, to say the truth, reason and love keep little company nowadays."

"Shakespeare…" He murmured to him self and his grip became less tight.

"It's from Midsummer Nigh-" I started saying but he cut me off.

"I know. It's my favorite play."

A faint glint of hope rushed through me.

"It's playing this week in the local theater. Maybe we could…" I started but he cut me off once again.

"No, we could not." He said.

His expression seemed tough, but I would swear it seemed like saying this sentence hurt him.

The elevator doors opened and he entered it. I gave him one last look before the doors closed again.

I returned to my house, trying not to think that that was the last time I saw Joshua Washington.

"Is everything all right?" Asked Jess as soon as I entered.

"Yeah, why?" I said while closing the door hoping that I didn't look the mess I felt.

"Just asking."


	5. Chapter 4

**_A/N: I'd like to thank you again for all your support :) Also, sorry for not updating for a day, but I was busy. You should probably get used to less updates (Maximum 3 per week and minimum 1) as school starts :( So, I got a new suggestion for a ship name (Sosh, by SuicideCat) and I thought I should make a poll so you guys could vote for your favorite. You find the poll in my profile, so go vote. As always, stay tuned for updates, review, follow and favorite. Enjoy._**

"So, tell me again why you can't go on a date with Justin tonight?" Asked Jess and sipped her latte.

"Because I promised Miranda to go and watch a play with her." I said and shoved a little cookie into my mouth.

"Miranda? Your class mate from veterinary school?"

I nodded and drank some of my frappuccino

Jessica sighed.

"It's the last time you get away with it."

"Ok…"

"Why are you so negative about it though?" She asked after some time.

"I… I've already told you; don't feel ready for it." I lied.

"He's a great guy. Mike's told me some amazing stuff about him."

"I don't doubt it."

"Hey, what play did you say you were going to watch?" Said Jessica deciding to change the subject.

"Midsummer night's dream."

"Oh… Sounds fancy."

"It is. Like any Shakespearean play."

"Maybe I should come." She said surprising me.

"Are there any hot actors playing?" She added making things clear.

"Doubt it…"

"Well, then, count me out."

"Sorry…" I said giving her a fake apologetic face.

"It's fine. Mike will keep me _entertained,_ if you know what I mean…" She said, winking at the end.

"Okay…" I said, blushing a little bit, causing Jess to laugh.

…

"Sam, over here." I saw Miranda waving her hands so I see her inside the huge crowd.

I half sprinted to her and she pulled me into a hug.

"How are you doing? Haven't seen you outside med classes in ages! I admit I was pretty surprised when you called me for a girls night out."

Yeah… Miranda was quite the talker.

"I'm fine. I just missed you." I said not wanting to admit the real reasons I called her were: First, to avoid Jessica's match making, and second to take my mind off Josh.

"I missed you too." She said and hugged me again.

She was pretty touchy as well.

"So, one of us should probably wait in line for tickets." I pointed out.

"I will… Who knows, maybe a hot guy will be in front me and then one thing will lead to another and…" She started but I cut her off.

"Go. We will miss the play." I ordered, laughing.

"Okay…" She said and disappeared into the crowd.

I decided to spend my waiting time looking at my phone. I was checking my twitter feed when somebody bummed on me.

"Ouch."

"I am so sorry." I heard a male voice say.

"It's' fin-" I started saying but stopped when I saw who the guy was.

"Josh?!"

"Sam…" He said, obviously not liking the fact he run into _me_.

"So… You came to see the play, huh?" I said, trying to start a conversation.

"Well, somebody mentioned it was playing and I decided to check it out." He joked.

Normally, I would have smiled, but I was angry with him so I rolled my eyes.

"You came here by your self?" I asked.

"Yup… What about you?"

"I came with a friend from veterinary school."

"Cool…"

"Yeah…"

How did this conversation turned so awkward.

"Josh, I got our tickets." Said a guy waving the tickets in the air.

"Chris?!" I asked as soon as his face got light up by the street lantern.

"Hi, Sam. You came to see the play as well?"

"Yup…" I said.

"So, you run up to Josh?" He asked

"Well, he actually bumped on me…"

Chris laughed.

"However, he didn't really mention that you were with him. Is there any one else with you?" I asked giving Josh a mad look.

"He didn't?" He asked and gave Josh a confused look.

Josh just shrugged.

"Anyway. No, we are by ourselves. Just us bros." He added.

"Sam!" I heard Miranda gesturing me to go to her.

"Have fun." I said and headed towards Miranda.

"You too." I heard Chris say.

"So… I got those really, really good tickets. There were the last ones, but the hottie at the register gave them to me." Said Miranda, but I wasn't really paying attention.

My eyes were constantly looking at Josh's and Chris' side. I couldn't hear what they were saying, but I could see their movements clearly. All of a sudden, they split up, and Josh headed towards his car, while Chris entered the theater.

"I… Forgot my phone at my car." I said making an excuse, so I could go to Josh to confront him.

"Oh… You want me to come with you or something?"

"No, it's fine. You go in, I'll catch up with you."

"Okay… Don't be late." She said and handed me my ticket.

"I won't." I said, and waited for her to enter the building, before storming towards Josh.

"What's your problem?!" I said to him while he was closing the car's door.

"Could you be more specific?" He asked after locking the car.

"Why would you lie about being alone."

Instead of answering he started moving towards the theater.

"Hey!" I shouted at him, grabbing his hand.

"What?!" He shouted back, yanking his hand off my grasp.

"Why do you treat me like that? Why can you be friends with Chris and not me?"

" _Friends?!_ Seriously, Sam? You made it pretty clear that you wanted us to be more than friends."

His words didn't made me sad; they made me angry instead.

"Oh, so you don't feel anything for me, huh?" I shouted, louder than last time, making some people to turn staring at us.

"It doesn't matter." He said in a quite tone.

"Of course it does! Answer me! Do you have feeling for me?! Yes, or no!" I shouted loudest than all times.

"Do you even have to ask."

His voice was so soft and tender that made all my anger disappear.

"Then what's the problem, Josh?" I asked, this time softly.

He didn't answer.

"Josh…" I said, taking his hand in my palms.

He closed his eyes for several seconds. When he opened them again, I was pretty sure some tears were forming.

"I got to go." His said, his voice returning to the harsh one he had before.

"Josh, don't." I pleaded him.

He looked down for a second and then removed his hand from my palms, but not in a violent way. Then, he walked towards the theater and I stood there, watching his silhouette disappear into the theater.

It took me some time to remember about Miranda. Well, actually a lot.

"Here you are." She said when she saw me enter the theater.

"I thought something bad happened to you." She added.

"I am fine." I said forcing a fake smile.

That was the lie of the century.

"Come on, the play is about to start." She said nodding at the open huge door leading to the room where the play took place.

"I don't really feel that good after all." I said to her.

"What's wrong?" She said, her voice full of concern.

Everything.

"I have a headache and I feel a little bit nauseous." I said, lying again.

"How did that happen?"

"I don't know. It might be the flu…"

"Do you have fever?" She asked, placing her palm on my forehead.

"Don't think so. However, I feel like shit."

That was so true.

"So… You won't be able to watch the play, will you?" She realized and disappointment took over her face.

"I'm sorry, Miranda. I promise, another time I-"

"Don't worry. Get better soon." She said giving me another hug.

"Thanks." I said while she faded into the room.

…..

I wasn't really sick, but I acted like I was. It was earlier than eleven o'clock and I was in my PJ's, on the couch and covered by my favorite blanker. I was sipping some hot tea I had just made and was watching a movie on Tv.

After some time, my cell phone started ringing. Fortunately, it was on the coffee table, so I didn't have to get up to pick it up.

"Hello?"

"Sam? It's Chris."

"Chris?!" I asked surprised.

Why would he be calling me?

"Yup… I called to ask how were you doing. Are you feeling better."

"Oh… Yeah… A little bit."

"How did you learn I was sick." I added after some time.

"We run up to your classmate, Miranda."

"Oh."

"It is pretty unfortunate you are sick. I had thought of us four going for dinner afterwards."

"It is unfortunate, indeed. And that sounds great; too bad I couldn't make it."

"Yeah… I guess another time?"

"Definitely."

"You missed a great performance, as well."

"At least you enjoyed."

"Well… To be honest, I am not a fan of plays my self, but Josh wanted us to go so…"

"I see."

"Did you know it was he favorite play?"

"No, I didn't" I said, knowing that lying was the best answer.

Telling him the truth would complicate things even more.

"Sam, I got to go, Ashley is calling me."

"Ok. Goodnight."

"Goodnight, and get better soon."

"Thanks, Chris." I said and hung up.

However, I wasn't sure if I could get better any time now. Josh admitting his feelings for me made me think everything will be easier. Instead, it tangled things up even more. How could he love me and not want us to be together? Why was he so cryptical?

I sighed and finished my tea. There was a lot of figuring out to do, but that could be done tomorrow. Now the thing I needed the most, was sleep.

—-


	6. Chapter 5

**_A/N: So, I am sorry to announce that, but school started so I will have to be restrained to one update pre week :( I don't know which day, so be sure to check daily. About the ship name, based on the poll I made, Jam is winning, but if you want this to change go ad vote or even suggest a new one. As always, thanks for the support, say tuned, review and favorite. Enjoy._**

"Do you prefer the 'sexy-naughty-bitchy-me' or the 'sweet-smart-sassy'?"

"Did you seriously made up those names right now?" I asked giggling at how ridiculous the names were.

"Pick one." Said Jess and raised the two dresses up in the air.

The right one, was a strapless black sparky mini dress. The left one, was an ivory, above knees backless one.

"Obviously the left one."

"Black one it is." She said, putting the one I chose back to closet.

"Why do you even ask?" I sighed.

"It's like a challenge; to see if you will pick the right thing."

"And I failed?"

"Miserably."

I sat on my bed and hugged a pillow.

"Hey, guys. Check this one out." Said Ashley pointing at a page from one of the million beauty magazines Jessica brought.

"This would look _so_ good on Sam." Jess said as soon as she saw the picture.

"Totes. We are _definitely_ doing Sam's hair up."

Jess nodded, while flipping the magazine for make up ideas.

The kept talking for a while, trying to decide what is the prefect look for my date with Justin. Fortunately for me, Jess had put music playing from her iPhone, so I could ignore them completely and get lost in the songs.

…..

"Get up, Cinderella. It's time for your make over." Said Jess after some while.

I obeyed, half-hearted and followed them into the bathroom, where Ash did my hair and Jess my make up.

I won't lie, the did a pretty amazing job. I almost looked like a real princess.

"Time for the dress." Said Jessica with excitement.

I sighed once more before putting it on.

"So…?" Asked Jess impatiently, while I was looking my self at the mirror.

"I don't now… It's pretty revealing."

"Come on, nun. It's your first date, you must make an impression."

"I don't want him to think I am like _that._ "

"Like what?"

"Like a slut." Said Ashley.

"Well, I wasn't going to use those exact words, but… Yeah."

"Oh, shut up. Both of you."

Ashley gave me a 'I-tried' look causing me to laugh.

"Shoe time!"

At least they won't be something extreme. Most of the shoes I own are athletic.

"So, as I knew how badly your shoe collection sucked, I decided to lend you one pair of my own."

I silently cursed.

Ashley laughed, but Jess shook her head disapprovingly. She then, took the shoes of the box.

"Holy shit." I said my eyes widening.

"Jess, you might have over done it…" Said Ashley who was clearly as surprised as I was.

"Not at all." She said admiring her shoes.

"Oh, and don't lose any, _Cinderella._ They are really expensive."

"Jessica, I can not walk on these."

"Of course you can. Try them on."

I gave the black 6 inch tall stilettos a second look. Taking a deep breath, I put them on and tried to walk. To my surprised, I didn't fall to my death.

"See, you are doing fine."

….

It was eight o'clock, aka the time Justin was going to come to take me to our date. Jessica and Ashley were in the elevator, leaving.

"Oh, and Jess…" I said as Ashley pushed the button.

"Yeah?""

"I don't owe you anymore."

I saw her roll her eyes as the doors closed and the elevator started to descend.

I returned to my apartment, were I decided to spend my waiting time by watching some Tv, while being extremely careful not to ruin anything on me and of course not fall.

I was really paying attention to the Tv. My mind was on Josh. A stupid part of me hoped that the moment I saw Justin, I would be in love with him, and I would forget Josh, and I would have my happy ending. But I knew that this wasn't possible. Also, a stupidest part of me didn't want to stop loving Josh, because maybe, just maybe, one day, we could be together and happy.

The door bell rang, interrupting my thoughts.

'Hello, you must be Justin." I said, after opening the door, to the guy standing right in front of me.

He was pretty tall and had a muscular, well built body. His face was flawless. His pure white skin made his crystal blue eyes shine.

He ran his hand through his golden hair and flashed a smile with his puffy, 100% kissable lips of his (as Jess would say).

"Yeah… And I assume you are Samantha." He said in a British accent.

Wow. Jessica had really overcome her self.

"Sam, for short." I correct him.

"Whatever the lady prefers." He said and I smiled at how much of a gentle man his was.

"Oh, how foolish of me. I almost forgot; these are for you." He said handing me a bouquet of flawless red roses.

"Well, thank you." I said and took them.

"Shall we go?"

"Yeah, just gimme one second to put the flowers in a vase."

…

After we existed the building, something grabbed my attention.

"Wow, that's a fancy car. You don't see much of them around here." I said pointing at a silver shiny cadillac.

Justin just laughed and took his car keys off his pocket. He then pressed a button, and the car unlocked.

"Oh." I said making him laugh even more.

I walked towards the help-drivers seat and reached for the door.

"Hey." He said causing me to stop.

"That is my job, my lady." He said opening the door for me.

"Thanks." I said while entering.

…..

He took me to a fancy restaurant, were the waiters only spoke french. Of course Justin, ordered for both of us, using the language flawlessly.

"Were did you learn to speak french like this." I said while sipping the ridiculously expensive red wine he ordered.

"Well, I took private lessons since I was 6, but I think what helped me master them was the fact we visited France every summer. You know, we have this cute little cottage; I should take you with me one time."

I couldn't decide which fact was more extraordinary. That he took lessons from the age of six, that they had a cottage (which turned to be a huge manor) in France, or that he invited me to it on our first date.

As time past, I had figured out tons of stuff about him. His dad was a CEO of a major enterprise and he was the only heir. But he wasn't snobby, he was fun, even normal. Even though his experience from one year were more interesting and fun from the ones I had my whole life, he constantly kept asking me things about my self. But it didn't feel he was prying; it seemed like he cared about me. And of course, he never mentioned the _incident._

…..

"I had such a good time." He said while he exited the restaurant.

"Me too." I said not lying.

He flashed another smile of his.

"Do you want a ride?" He asked.

I was about to accept it, when my eyes recognized a familiar face sitting on the fountain, blended with strangers.

"Um, no. I'm fine." I murmured.

"Are you sure?"

I nodded.

"As you wish." He said and I smiled at him.

"I would be more than willing to go out with you again." He said catching me off guard.

"Yeah… That would be great." I said.

"Goodnight, Sam." He said and kissed my hand.

I saw him enter his car and fade. He was literally the perfect man. A true prince. But the problem was, I was not a princess. So, instead, I walked towards the guy that had been messing my life up.

"Hey, Josh." I said and he looked up from his phone.

"I wasn't stalking you; I swear." He said while getting up from the fountain.

"I didn't think you were." I said while we moved several feet away from the fountain.

Despite the fact it was late in the night, the centre of the city was full of people, and it was so brightly illuminated that made you think it was day.

"He looks like a great guy."

"What?" I said clearly surprised by Josh's words.

"He looks great, Sam. You should date him."

"What?!" My eyes widen at the last sentence.

He didn't reply.

"Josh, what the hell are you saying? One day ago you admitted you had feelings for me and now you tell me to date someone else?!"

"Sam, you made me do that. It would be so easier if I didn't."

"For whom, Josh? For whom would it be easier?"

"Me. You…"

"Would you bother explaining me how?"

"Sam, you deserve the best. And that guy, is the definition of it."

"Josh…" I said and he just looked at me, the street lantern light falling straight on his emerald eyes, illuminating them.

"Yes. He is perfect. He is what _every_ girl would ask for. But I don't love _him._ I love _you_." This was the first time I said that I love him out loud.

"Then stop loving me Sam. It's not good for you."

"What?! I can't _stop loving you_! It's not _that_ easy…"

"Yes. Yes, it is. Just think of what I did to you back in the mountains."

"Don't."

"Why not, Sam? Just do it, and tell me what do you see."

"You never really hurt me."

"Not physically."

I open my mouth to protest, but then think of a better idea.

"Yes, Josh. You hurt me. You did the one thing that could hurt me the most in the entire world."

What started as a tvictorious smile on his face, turned into a confused frown.

"You made me watch a video, where the person I love the most got cut in half. And the worst part, was that I was helpless. I couldn't avenge the beloved one I had just lost. There were some brief moments, were I thought I should give up running. I thought there was no point in fighting anymore, because I had lost you. First Hannah, and then _you._ "

"What made you keep running?" He asked.

"The faint glint of hope that if I survived, I would have a chance to make that person pay."

Josh buried his face in his hands but I stood there, not moving.

"I am sorry." Were the only words that came out of him.

"I don't doubt it, Josh. But instead of trying to make up, you hurt me even more; by denying that we could be together."

"I am doing the right thing. I am letting you go, so you can be happy; even without me. I am forcing my self into a life without _you,_ because you deserve the best, and you are not going to get it with me. I don't deserve you, Sam."

"Josh, you are wrong-" I started but he cut me off.

"I love you, Sam. More than I have loved anything in this world. And that is why I am doing this." He said.

I closed my eyes and tears run down my face.

"Josh, don't do this, please." I begged.

He opened his mouth to speak, but a rain drop that fell on his face interrupted him.

"It's raining; you should go."

"No. No, Josh… You are making a terrible mistake. Just listen to me." I pleaded as the rain drops turned into heavy rain.

"There is nothing else to be said." He said.

I was completely soaked by now, but I didn't care.

Josh turned his back to me and was about to go, when he suddenly turned facing me again and pulled me towards him. His lips collided against mine, putting them on fire. The kiss started as a hungry one, but turned into a soft and tender one at the end. It all happened so fast and I got consumed by the kiss, so I didn't have time to react. By the time my mind started working, he had already pulled away. I leaned towards him for a second kiss, but he backed away.

"Date mr. perfect." Were his only words before disappearing into the dark.

Tears started running down my face. It felt like I was in an emotional roller coaster. The night started with me being fine. In the middle, I was better than ok, even good. Then things turned bad, and I was really sad. When Josh kissed me, I was on cloud 9, but when he left, I fell back on earth, hitting the ground pretty hard.

And if things weren't bad enough, everything started spinning. Fortunately, I was close to a wall, so I supported my self against it and didn't fall. However, after sometime of blankly staring at the people running to avoid the rain, I found my self sliding down the wall.

People shot me glances, but no one was brave enough to come near me. To be honest, I wouldn't either. I looked like a mess.

"Sam?!" I heard a concerned voice above me.

I looked up only to find out that Chris was standing there, his wider than I had ever seen them be.

"Are you ok?" His asked, his voice filled with concerned.

"No."

There was no point in lying any more.

"Come on." He said and helped me up.

He leaded me to his car, while trying to cover me from the rain.

"What happened? Was your first date _that_ bad?" He asked when we were inside the car.

"No… It was actually great." I said while he turned on the heater.

I found my hands moving towards the heat source. Chris noticed that, and covered me in a jacket of his that was forgotten in the back of the car from who knows when.

"Then what's the problem?"

I hesitated.

"Come on, Sam. You were always like the sister I never had. You can tell me anything." He said in a brotherly tone.

"Josh." Was the only word that escaped my mouth.

"What about him?"

I didn't answer.

"What about him, Sam?" He asked again, but still no response.

"That's it. I am taking you to my house." He said and powered the engine.

"No. Ashley…" I said almost under my breath.

"Don't worry; she said she would spend the night at Jessica's." He said and then turned to me.

"Promise me, that when we arrive to my house, you will tell me everything."

I simply nodded.

—


	7. Chapter 6

**_A/N: I know you've been waiting for it, sorry it took me so long. As always thanks for the support, we are close to 100 followers, you think we can reach that (If yes that would be more than amazing). Also, there is going to be one more update this week, so stay tuned. Don't forget to review, follow, favorite. Love you guys, Enjoy._**

"Here we are." Said Chris as we entered his house.

I stepped in and noticed that my clothes were dripping water.

"Go take a hot bath. It will make you feel better." Chris ordered and I willingly obeyed.

I entered the bathroom and removed my clothes. I was more than thankful for the fact that there was a shower stall and not a bath tub, as that would bring back many unwanted memories.

As hot water ran down my body, I couldn't stop thinking about Josh's lips on mine. It felt so good. It was like nothing else mattered, just us. I wondered if that would ever happen again.

I exited the stall and wrapped a towel around my self. Trying to keep the memories out of my head, I looked at my clothes. There was no way I could wear them. Suddenly, I heard someone knocking at the door.

"Sam, can I enter?" Chris asked.

"Sure." I said.

The door opened and Chris walked in holding a little bag.

"So… Your clothes and er… underwear… are soaking wet, meaning you can't wear them." He said, being a little embarrassed over the word underwear.

"I figured out you could wear those." He said and gave me the bag.

Inside the bag there were some black extra-sexy lingerie.

"I bought them for Ashley, as an anniversary gift." He quickly explained him self making me almost smile.

"Thanks. And don't worry; I will go buy a pair for Ashley."

"Oh god, Sam… You can't believe how thankful I am for that."

"No worries, bro."

"Oh, and I will give you a shirt of mine so you don't feel uncomfortable."

"Yeah, that's probably a good idea." I murmured and he existed the bathroom.

As I changed into the lingerie, which was pretty revealing, a image popped into my mind, before I was able to stop it. I thought of Josh, which in this dream/thought was my boyfriend, buying me lingerie and blushing at the cashier. I smiled bitterly.

"Sam, are you ok with this shirt?" Said Chris as he stormed into the bathroom holding a blue shirt of his.

"Oh my god. I did not know you had already changed…" He said turning his back.

"It's fine, Chris. You are like my brother." I said.

He hesitantly turned facing me, still trying not to look at the parts that was 'covered' by the lingerie and handed me the shirt. As I tried to wear it, he exited the bathroom. I followed as soon as I was covered by the shirt.

"Chris…?" I asked as I entered the living room.

"I am in the kitchen, wait in the living room." I heard him shout from a room, which was probably the kitchen.

I sat on the couch and waited patiently. Shortly after, Chris emerged from the kitchen holding two cups.

"It's hot chocolate." He pointed out as he handed me one.

He placed his own on the coffee table and then disappeared into the long hallway, only to return with a blanket.

"Thanks." I said as he gave it to me.

"Now you have some explaining to do." He said as I took my first sip.

I sighed and started.

…

"He said he loved me, he kissed me and then told me to date Justin." I said, ending the detailed description of our love story.

Chris looked at me for a second and then pulled me into a hug. I wanted this since the whole Josh drama had started. I wanted some to tell him my pain, someone who could hold me and tell me everything would be alright. So, you can imagine how good it felt to finally have a person like that.

"I will talk to Josh, I promise." He said, still holding me, like he was afraid to let me on my own.

I just nodded.

"I noticed something weird was happening between you guys at the cinema. I should have investigated it further."

He held me for some minuets and none of us talked.

"Thanks, Chris." I whispered after some time.

"Hey. I am always here for you, ok? If you need anything, I mean _anything_ come to me."

I simply nodded and mouthed 'thanks' one more time.

….

"…Sam…our bed?!"

I groaned.

"Chris, answer me!" The conversation became clearer.

I opened my eyes lazily and looked at the ceiling.

"Ashley, baby…"

Shit; Ashley.

I jumped from the bed and almost ran to the living room.

"Ashley…" I said, my eyes shifting from her to Chris.

"Perfect! Now that sleeping beauty is awake you can both explain to me what is happening." Said Ashley, who was clearly furious.

"It's actually really simple. I…" I started.

"Wait. How did I exactly end up sleeping in your bed?" I turned to Chris.

"You fell asleep on the couch and I moved you to the bed."

Finally everything started coming back. We were watching a stupid comedy and drinking our hot chocolate. And then, nothing.

"Don't even try and pull this up. Sam is wearing your shirt for gods sake!"

"There is an explanation for that." Said Chris.

"So, after my date with Justin, I decided to walk home, because it was a beautiful night." I said and Chris gave me a look.

"But then it started raining. Fortunately Chris run up to me, and offered to give me a ride. But since it was really late he said I should go to his place. When we arrived, my clothes were soaked, so he gave me his shirt." I added, deliberately not adding the shower and lingerie parts.

Ashley gave us a look.

"So, _nothing_ happened, huh?"

"Nothing. I swear Ashley. You are my best friend, I would never do that to you."

Ashley stays silent for a while and then pulls me into a hug.

"Sorry for doubting you. Both of you." She said turning to Chris and giving him a soft kiss on his lips.

"I can't believe you thought that we two… I mean, she is like my sister!" Exclaimed Chris.

"I know… I know. I guess I am really afraid of losing you." Said Ashley looking down.

"You shouldn't be." He said and pulled her into a hug.

I couldn't help but smile at how perfect they were.

"Anyway, I have some errands to run." He said giving me a wink when Ashley wasn't looking.

"Ok…" I said.

"Have fun." He said while exiting the house.

"So what is he planning?" Ashley asked as soon as the door closed.

"What?"

"I saw him wink at you when he said errands. It is something for an anniversary surprise, right?"

Crap.

"Totally. But I can not say what. Sorry…"

"Okay… Oh, I just remembered, we have to plan an amazing anniversary dinner."

"Wait; that is not the surprise Chris wants to make me, right?" She added.

"No… Not at all."

"Great! I am calling Jessica. I'll tell her to bring you some clothes from your house."

…..

"Just tell me my shoes are ok." Said Jessica, storming into the house.

"Um…" I said looking down.

Her eyes widened when she saw the muddy shoes and the half destroyed dress. She then looked at me, wearing Chris shirt only and her mouth turned into a small _o_.

"What the hell?!" She asked

Ashley quickly explained and Jess smiled and nodded. However when I took my clothes and went to the bedroom to change, she followed me, with the excuse of wanting to help me. Ashley was so into making the diner perfect that she didn't second doubted it.

"Jess, _nothing_ happened, we just-" I started as we entered the room, but Jess cut me off.

"Look, I don't care what you said to Ashley. I am not her, Sam." She said and closed the door behind her.

"You were not wearing lingerie when you went for your date."

"I know. My underwear were soaked as well, so Chris gave me those… They were supposed to be a present for Ashley. I will buy him a new pair as soon as possible." I explained my self, but Jessica still looked at me suspiciously.

"It does not make sense though… Why would he bring you here and not take you to your house?" She wondered out loud.

"Jess, please, will you let go of this? I promise that later on, things will become clearer." I pleaded.

She thought for a while.

"Ok… But I swear to god, Sam, if you are screwing our best friend's boyfriend-" She started but I cut her off.

"I am not." I said sternly.

She silently nodded and opened the door to exit.

"Oh, and you owe me the money for the shoes." She said just before closing the door behind her.

I quickly changed into my clothes and returned to the living room.

"What is my assignment?" I asked when I saw both of my friends struggling with various things.

"Do you prefer decorating, or cooking?" Jessica asked, while bitting a pen.

"Cooking? From now? The dinner is tomorrow night."

"Recipe hunt and super-fancy-I-don't-remember-its-name dessert." Said Ashley who was staring up something in a silver bowl.

"Decorating." I said and walked towards Jess.

She basically informed me on her plan of how to decorate the room. I didn't argue with anything she said and followed every order she gave me loyally.

"Hey, I am not saying anything about the lingerie to Ash, if that is why you are acting like my puppy." Said Jess when Ashley visited the bathroom.

"I did not think you were going to; and I am not your puppy, I just don't feel like arguing."

"Is everything fine?" She asked.

The true concern in her voice almost made me spit everything out.

Instead, I simply nodded and we continued planning on how to decorate every single corner of this house, from the living room, to the dinning area and of course the bed room.

…

I was exhausted from all this preparing that when I finally arrived at my house, all I could thing was sleeping. I didn't even bother changing into my pajamas. I simply removed my yoga pants and fell on the bed.

I was about to close the light when the phone rang.

"Hello?" I said with a grumpy voice.

"Sam? Is everything alright?"

"Yeah… I am just really, really tired."

"Ok, I won't drag this a lot. I spoke with Josh."

"And…?" My whole body and mind got alerted at the sound of that name.

"I may have found a solution to his denial."

"Really?!"

"Yup. I will tell you details tomorrow. Goodnight."

"Chris…" I said preventing him from hunting up.

"Yes?"

"Ashley saw you winking at me when you said you were leaving for errands."

"Oh god. Did she cause you much trouble? What excuse did you make up?"

"Actually… I didn't have to."

"Did you tell her the truth?"

"No… She thought I was helping you plan some anniversary surprise."

"Shit. She will now expect something huge…"

"Sorry, Chris…"

"It's ok."

"No. Not really."

"Hey, stop. Good night."

"Goodnight, Chris." I said and hung up.

It only took seconds for me to fall asleep.


	8. Chapter 7

**_A/N: Hello guys, we reached 100 followers! Yay :) Thanks for all the support, you are awesome. Sorry for not updating, I was marathoning the game (Finished it in one night and half a day). It is likely for me to update on Tuesday or Wednesday, so as always, stay tuned, follow, favorite and review. Enjoy…._**

"So…? What is the solution?" I asked, being straight forward.

Chris opened his mouth to talk, but the waitress brought our lattes, interrupted him.

"Ok. I talked with Josh, and I figured out the root of the problem." He said after sipping his latte.

"And what may that be?" I asked, while adding some sugar to my drink.

"Well, as you may know, Josh has been visiting a psychiatrist."

"Yeah, what about it?"

"She has been telling him to stay awake from you."

I almost choked on my latte.

"Why?!"

"She thinks, that you don't really love him, but it is all an act of pity."

"That bitch! She doesn't know anything about me." I said, who was now really upset.

"I know; that's why I made an appointment with her. So we can clear thing out."

"Chris, that's very smart ."

"Thank you, thank you…" He said while giving some bows.

I laughed and then checked my watch.

"I need to go. When is that appointment?"

"Tomorrow, 9 a.m"

"You will be there, right?"

"Of course." He said, encouragingly squeezing my hand.

I payed for my latte and was about to leave when it hit me.

"God… I completely forgot; do you need any help with the major surprise?"

"No… I can handle it."

"Thanks for everything." I said while hugging him goodbye.

…..

"We planned everything yesterday, now its time to really make them." Said Jessica.

Both Ashley and I nodded.

"You two, start preparing the food. When you are done, join me into making this house the most romantic place in the whole earth."

"Yes, sir!" I joked making Ashley giggle.

"Not funny. Go!" Said Jess giving me a look.

We went to the kitchen and started cooking the meals.

"So… Any clues on the big surprise?" Asked Ashley.

"I can't tell you a thing, Ash." I said giving her an apologetic look.

"Not even a little one?" She asked hopefully.

"Sorry…" I said shaking my head.

To give her clues, I must have some, and right now, I know as much as she does.

She sighed and returned to her cooking.

…

As soon as we finished preparing the meals, we headed to help Jessica with her 'extreme house makeover'.

"More rose petals on the bed." She barked at me and I obeyed, emptying one more basket on it.

"How many candles did you say?" Asked Ashley, popping her head into the bed room.

"Argh! You can not do anything by yourselves!" She sighed and leaved the room to show Ashley.

I stayed in the bedroom, fixing some of the candles.

They were going to have the night of their lives… Shit. The lingerie.

I storm out of the room and head to the living room.

"I gotta go." I said while grabbing my jacket.

"What?!" Said Jess.

"Sorry, guys; I had something to do and I completely forgot about it…" I said while opening the door.

"It's fine, Sam. We are almost done, go…" Said Ashley.

I closed the door behind me and run to my car.

…..

I exited a Victoria's Secret store, holding a bag that contained a pair of lingerie, identical to the one Chris gave me.

"I didn't know you shopped from that store. Guess everyday you learn something new." Said a male voice starling me.

"Mike…"

"Hello, Sam."

I was about to leave when his voice made me stop again.

"Wait till I tell Justin about it; I bet he will be thrilled."

"It's not for me. And Justin is not that kind of a guy…"

"Sam… Every guy is _that kind_ of a guy. And you don't have to be ashamed about it. I love every single underwear Jess has bought from Victoria's Secret; especially the lacy ones."

"Oh my god, Mike…. You both have to stop talking about your sex life to others." I said while rolling my eyes.

"What did Jess said about me? That I am a god in bed?" He asked and gave me a wink.

"No!" I said grimacing.

"I need to go." I added.

"It was my pleasure seeing you as well." Said Mike causing me to roll my eyes again.

….

The door bell rang and I rushed to open the door.

"Come in." I said and he followed me.

"Here it is."

I gave him the lingerie.

"Thanks Sam."

"Don't mention it."

He was about to go, when I talked again.

"Chris…?"

"Yes?"

"What surprise did you come up with?"

"Oh. I- I, um… I thought that I could give her a bracelet that was my mother's…"

"Chris, that is _so_ romantic."

"You think so?"

"Yeah…" I said flashing him a smile.

He flashed a smile back.

"Sam… Can I use your bathroom real quick?"

"Sure." I said and he disappeared into the hall way.

I sat on the couch and opened the Tv. I was channel surfing when Chris' phone rang.

"Chris?!" I shouted but he didn't hear me.

I was about to shout one more time, when I saw the caller's name.

'Josh'

The phone kept ringing and I faced a dilemma. Should I call for Chris once more, or pick it up myself?

My hands reacted faster than my brain did, and soon found my self accepting the call.

"Chris, it Josh." His voice echoed through the phone.

"I just called you to wish you luck, coachise." He said.

I knew that it had been only two days since the last time I heard his voice, but it felt like years.

"Chris…?"

I couldn't find my self replying to him. Instead, I buried my head into my hands and tried to stop the tears.

"Chris?!"

Suddenly, Chris came into the living room. His eyes shifted from me, to his phone and back to me.

"Yeah, Josh?" He said picking up the phone.

"Chris! What happened?"

"I didn't have good signal. Can you repeat everything you said?"

"I just called to wish you luck, bro."

"Thanks, man…"

"See ya." Were the last words Josh said before hanging up.

"I'm sorry…" I whispered to Chris.

"I am not mad." He said closing the phone and shoving it into his pocket.

"Why didn't you speak?"

"I don't know… I just couldn't."

He gave me a hug.

"Tomorrow."

"Tomorrow…" I repeated.

"Good luck, Chris." I said while he exited.

"Thanks."


	9. Chapter 8

**_A/N: I must admit, this story is going extremely better than I thought, and all that thanks to you. Thanks for all the support. I am trying for regular updates so stay tuned so you don't miss any of them. Also, review, follow and favorite. Enjoy._**

"Mrs. Marshall will see you now."

Chris nodded and got up.

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath.

"You coming?" Chris asked.

"Yeah…" I murmured and got up.

Chris and I followed the secretary down the hallway.

"Are you sure for this?"

I nodded.

She opened a door and gestured us to walk in.

"Don't worry." Chris whispered to me taking my hand in his.

I simply looked at him.

"Hello, there… I must admit, I have been very eager to meet you." Said the therapist.

"We too." Said Chris while we got seated facing her. She was rather old.

"Christopher, I assume." She said smiling at Chris.

"Yup, that's me." He said facing her a smile.

"Josh has talked to me about you quite a lot; it almost feels like I know you myself."

"Well… Do you like me?" Joked Chris lightening the mood.

Mrs. Marshall nodded while laughing.

"And what do we have here…" She said turning to me.

I fixed my posture.

"Young Samantha… You are just as Josh described you."

I open my mouth to speak, but words don't come out.

"He talks a lot about you, you know…" She adds.

"And what does he say?" I ask under my breath.

"Mostly how his love for you its killing him."

"Well, you are obviously not doing a good job as you created the problem."

"Oh, wow… You think that _I_ created it? Very interesting…"

"I love Josh. He loves me. What's your problem."

"Sweetheart, you don't _love_ Josh. What you have for him is a simple crush. He however, has developed some serious feeling for you."

"Who are you to tell me about my love about Josh?" I say clearly upset.

"Josh is very fragile. I don't to watch him get broken."

"Are you suggesting that I will destroy him?!"

"It is a possibility my dear."

Anger rushes through me.

"You may bring up unwanted memories that will… _upset_ him."

"Yeah, but that can happen with Chris as well. However, I did not see Josh trying to stay away from him too."

"Well, that's due to Josh's perspective of things…"

"What does that mean?"

"Josh doesn't want to be with you because he is afraid that he will break you too."

"That's not true, and _you_ know it. So why don't you do anything?"

"Because I really believe that you two shouldn't be together."

I clenched the fabric of my dress trying not to punch her. Chris noticed that and tried to calm me down.

"I am not trying to be rude, but that is not your business, isn't it?" Asks Chris kindly.

"Christopher, I am doing what's better for my client."

"And how are you sure that that is the best."

"I assume it is."

Chris opened his mouth to protest, but I stopped him.

"It's not worth it, Chris. Let's go."

He nodded

"Goodbye… for now." Said the therapist as we got up and I rolled my eyes.

….

"So… Any comments?" Asked Chris while we entered his car.

"I just really hope that it will solve our problem."

"I wish it does." He says flashing me a smile.

"You both deserve happiness." He said while turning the engine on.

"Do you really think that it could work? I mean, _us…_ "

Chris thinks for a while and then opens the radio.

"I really don't know…" He murmurs after white a while.

…

I press the door bell and close my eyes. I had called, but no one picked up.

The sound of the door opening makes me hold my breath.

"Sam…"

"Please don't close the door." I blurted stoping it with my hand.

He just sighed and stood there.

"I talked with your therapist."

"You did?" He asked clearly surpised.

"I did…"

"And what did you say?"

"She told me why you didn't want us to be together." I said under my breath, my eyes never leaving his.

He looked at me, but did not talk.

"You are not gonna break me Josh."

He scoffed and looked away.

"Josh. Look at me." I said closing the space between us.

"You are not gonna break me." I repeated, in a steady tone.

He slowly raised his eyes and looked at me. I leaned a little bit forward, so that our lips could meet. However, Josh pulled away.

"Josh." I whispered closing the space between us again.

"Oh, Sam…" He said while I placed my hand on his chest.

"I wanna grab you and never let you go, I wanna spend every second of my life kissing you, I wanna be able to tell you that I love you forever. But I can't. I swear I wish I did, but I can't. I am broken, and I won't let my self break you too." He said.

"Josh-" I started but he cut me off.

"Can I- can I have a last embrace?"

I simply nodded tears filling my eyes.

Josh then slowly pulled me into his muscular arms and squeezed me tightly. When he pulled away, he cupped my face with his two hands.

"Josh…" I whimpered.

"Shhhhh…" He whispered softly.

He then leaned forward and placed a small kiss on my forehead.

"Goodbye, Sam."

"No. No… That's not goodbye." I started mumbling while tears started trailing down my face.

"Sorry, for everything…"

"Josh, please…" I pleaded.

"I love you, I always did, and will always do. That's why I am letting you go." He said while closing the door at my face.

Sobs escaped my mouth, tears following.

That's it. The end. Well, to be exact, there never was a begging. It was just an idea of a brilliant love story, that no one ever bothered to write down.

…

"Why didn't you tell us?"

I just shrugged.

"I am sorry…" Murmured Jessica pulling me into a hug.

"Me too." I said under my breath.

"Do you want Chris to talk to him?"

"I wish that helped even a little bit, Ash…"

"What are you planning on doing?"

"They say that time is the best medicine."

Big. Fat. Lie.

"Well, if you need anything, _anything_ , we are here for you."

"I know; and I am grateful of that."

"Sam…?" Asked Ashley after some time.

"Yeah…"

"Do you wish you never met Josh?"

"No."

My answer surprised her.

"The pain is unbearable, but hearing him say _I love you,_ it… I-I don't know… It makes me feel that everything will be alright."

"I'm so sorry…" Said Ashley taking my hand in her palms.

"Yeah…"

…

The doorbell rang, waking me up. I checked the clock and figured out it was 3 am. I sleepily got up and slowly walked to the door.

"Who is it?" I asked before opening the door.

"It's me."

I quickly opened the door.

"Hey…"

"Hey."

"I- I thought about it, about us…"

"And…?"

"We should try; if you still want to, of course."

I opened my mouth to speak but then changed my mind. Instead, I leaned forward and gave Josh a kiss. Surprising me, he pulled me closer for a hungry passionate kiss. We kept kissing and after some time he pulled me up and carried me into the house. He then lay me on the couch and then got on top of me. He looked at me ready to kiss me, but then his hands moved down to my body.

"HEY!" I screamed while bursting in laughter.

"I didn't know you were that ticklish. Someone is very jealous."

"Shut up."

"Make me." He said playfully.

"Okay… Two can play that game." I said and tried to roll us over, so I am on top.

However, we ended up down on the floor, Josh again on top. I put a grumpy face on and he started laughing.

"It's not funny." I whined.

He just smiled. Then, he leaned down and placed a small kiss on my lips.

"I love you." He said.

"Me too."

" _Sam._ "

" _Sam!_ "

I opened my eyes and realized I was laying on my bed.

"Wake up sleepy head." Said Ashley who was standing next to me.

I sighed as a tear ran down my face. The memories strike me. Both of my friends had offered to stay over so I wasn't alone. That made the dream being true more impossible than it already was.

"Did you have a nightmare?" She asked while we headed to the living room.

"No. It was actually a really nice dream."

"Then why are you sad?"

"Because I wanted it to be real…"

One of my mottos was 'Never say Never', but I was pretty sure that me and Josh would never end up together. And the worst part of it, was that I had to learn to be ok with it.

—


	10. Chapter 9

**_A/N: Hi, guys. I'd like to say that this is like a 'prologue' for the next chapter. Also, thanks for all your support. Extra thanks to the people that write reviews; I am so grateful that you give little of your time to tell me your opinion. Enjoy._**

A few weeks had passed since the last goodbye. My friends never left my side; not that it really helped. I cant remember a single night that I didn't cry my self to sleep. I really hated to go to sleep; I was afraid that I would dream of him. But the worst, was waking up and believing that all this was a nightmare. That I would find him sleeping next to me or in the kitchen cooking dinner. That I could be happy, with Josh.

I had been to one or two more "dates" with Justin, but in every one I was fast to make it clear that I only see him as a friend. He really did not mind. He said that he really liked me, and had no problem if he wanted us to be friends; he just wanted to hang out with me.

…..

'How excited are you?' Texted Jess.

'Extremely' I texted back, glad that my lying would not be that obvious.

'I promise, it's going to be great!'

'I don't expect anything less from you'

'I don't see a reason for you to. Anyways, love you 3'

'Me too'

I put the phone on the coffee table and returned to watching a stupid comedy. I won't lie, I am pretty excited about what my friends are planning. I really don't know what would happen if I didn't have them by my side.

…

"Open up, Sam!" I heard Jess shout from the other side of the door.

"Coming…" I said while rushing to the door.

"Here's our birthday girl!" Said Jess walking in.

I smiled as all my friends pulled me into a group hug.

"That's for you; and it's mandatory." She said placing a plastic tiara on my head.

I laughed and my friends looked at me in surprise.

"What?" I asked.

"It's just… We haven't hear you laugh in a while." Said Ash.

"Where should I place the sleeping bags?" Asked Mike chaining the theme.

"Down here. I will help you." I offered.

"We will unpack the snacks." Said Chris and Ash and disappeared into the kitchen

"I am gonna get some cups for the booze." Said Jess following them.

"Thanks for coming. I know that sleepovers aren't really your thing." I said to Mike while we placed the sleeping bags.

"It's not like I had much of a choice… Jess would cut me into little pieces and serve me as chips."

I laughed.

"You are my friend Sam, and don't miss friend's birthdays; even if they are sparkly girly sleepovers."

I smiled and gave him a hug.

"Hey, there…" He said when I pulled back.

"If you want me to sneak in your sleeping bag later in the night, just say it, ok?" He added while tracing his thumb on my cheek.

"Later? I can not wait until later." I said as seductively as possible, playing with the buttons on his shirt.

"We can't risk being caught…"

"The bathroom is always an option." I said winking.

He looked at me and I waited for a response, but he just burst into laughing. Shortly after I followed.

"What's wrong with you two?" Asked Jess emerging from the kitchen holding a huge stack of plastic cups.

"Shhhh…" Whispered Mike to me, making me laugh louder.

"Weirdoes." Jess murmured and placed the cups on the coffee table.

"Do you really have to turn everything into a joke?" I asked Mike shortly after.

"Yeah, pretty much…"

"Why?"

"I don't know… Guess I was born this way."

I rolled my eyes at him and he poked his tongue in return.

"Thanks." I said while giggling.

"For what?"

"Making me laugh."

"It was my pleasure." He said while smiling.

I couldn't help but smile myself.

"Should we open Doritos or Lays?" Asked Ashley, her head popping out of the kitchen.

"That's such a dumb question, Ash." Said Mike.

Ashley looked at him confused.

"Obviously both." He added.

"Okay…" Said Ash and disappeared into the kitchen again.

She returned holding two bowls. Chris was right behind her, several cans of beer in his hands.

….

We spent our time playing stupid drinking games while Jess' phone was playing music.

"OMG! That's my favorite song, Sam. Come on, let's dance!" Said a drunk Chris.

I giggled as he grabbed me and led me in the middle of the room, where we started dancing. I was 100% sure that we looked like idiots, but I was tipsy enough to let that go.

When the song ended we were both breathless and laughing our butts out. My friends smiled at the sight of a happy me.

"What game is next?" Asked Mike.

"Never Have I Ever." Said Jess.

"I love this game." Said Ash with excitement.

"Guys… It's 11:57" Said Mike.

"What?! God, time passes so quickly." Said Chris.

Jess and Ashley went into the kitchen and then returned with a red velvet cupcake with a small lit candle on top.

"Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday dear Samantha, happy birthday to you." They all sang, each one in a different tone.

"Make a wish!" Ordered Ash.

I closed my eyes and blew the candle.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY!" They all shouted and then pulled me into a tight hug.

"21…" I thought out loud.

"To Sam." Said Chris filling his cup with beer.

"To Sam." Said Everyone else raising their cups and drinking.

"I think it's time for us to relax in our sleeping bags and watch a movie." Said Ash after some cheering.

"What?! No…! The party just started!" Said a very, very drunk Chris.

"Honey… You should seriously stop drinking." Said Ash taking his cup away.

"What? Are you my mum?"

Ashley rolled her eyes and placed the cup away from his reach.

Chris looked grumpy for a second but then his eyes lit up.

"I just had the best idea." He said moving fast towards the kitchen.

"Just tell me it doesn't involve alcohol, Chris." Shouted Ash, but Chris either didn't hear her, or simply ignored her.

"Close your eyes. All of you." Ordered Chris, and we drunkenly obeyed.

All of a sudden I felt a fizzy liquid on me.

"What the hell?!" I screamed opening my eyes.

"Chris!" I shouted as I realized his amazing idea.

"You didn't have champagne…"

"And that's an excuse for exploding coke on my face?!"

"Come on… I know you had even a little bit of fun." He said.

"Say it…" He said approaching me.

"Say it, say it, say it!" He said poking me on my shoulder.

"Okay… It might have been a little bit funny…"

Chris smiled.

"I need to change my shirt." I said and started moving towards my bedroom.

"Sam…?" Said Jess all of a sudden making me stop.

"Yeah?"

"I forgot taking an extra blanket, do you mind getting me one?"

"No problem."

"Take your time." I heard her say while I entered my bedroom.

I take my shirt off and throw it on my bed. Then I opened the closet and started looking for the blanket. For some reason I couldn't find it. I moved to the drawers and started searching in them. I got so obsessed in finding it, that I forgot that I needed a shirt, as I was topless.

I heard the door opening and then closing again, but I had my back to it, so I didn't know who it was.

"Just gimme some time, Jess; I will find it." I guessed.

I got no response.

"I found it!" I said after a while feeling victorious as I was holding the blanket in my hands.

Still, nobody talked. This was getting creepy.

"Jess?" I asked once more before turning to face the door.

My eyes widened and the blanket fell off my hands. I watched him kneel and pick it up.

"Happy birthday, Sammy." He said and handed it to me.

 ** _A/N: Sorry for the cliffhanger. Stay tuned, review, follow and favorite. Love ya all 3_**


	11. Chapter 10

**_A/N: I can't believe this story reached 100 favorites. I can't tell you how grateful I am. I thought of writing an extra long chapter to celebrate. Sorry for taking me so long to update it, I had some technical difficulties (Stupid site wouldn't let me upload.) As always, stay tuned and don't forget to review, follow and favorite. Hope you like it._**

I closed my eyes.

"This is not real." I said to my self.

"Sam." He said walking towards to me.

"It's real. I am here." He said in a reassuring tone while talking my hand.

"Why are you here?" I said while placing the blanket on my bed.

"And how did you get here?" I added.

"They helped me a lot." He said gesturing to the living room.

"Oh…"

"Don't you want to wear a shirt or something?"

His question made me realize I was only in my bra.

"Yeah; I totally forgot." I said while grabbing a random shirt and putting it on.

"So… You asked why I am here." He said after I was set.

I nodded.

"First of all to wish you happy birthday."

"And second… I've been thinking." He added after some while.

"About us?"

"Yeah."

"And? You came to tell me that we can't be together one more time?"

"No…" He said taking my hand again.

"I thought that when I lost my sisters, you were there for me. Everything I needed, you were by my side. You were the person I could talk to. You were the only one that understood me. And now, I have left you. Alone."

"Well, I couldn't talk to you consider the fact that-"

"That I am the one putting you in pain?"

"I would not use that exact words, but yeah."

"I thought really hard, and I figured out we could try to be friends. And if this works, we see from there."

I just stood there.

"If you want to, of course." He quickly added.

"So, no more goodbyes. No more 'stay away from me'."

"No more."

"We can be friends. Like we used to."

"Well, we'll never be _just_ friends. There always gonna be a spark between us. We just gotta stop it from spreading; for now at least."

"And it will be like all is behind us?"

"We'll try to make that happen, yeah."

"Are you staying?"

"I don't know… I don't have a sleeping bag and I-"

"You can sleep at the couch."

He looked down.

"Please."

"You are lucky that it is your birthday, girl." He said and the biggest smile appeared on my face.

I looked at him and then down again, trying to hide my awkwardness.

"Come here." He said while laughing and pulled me close to him.

"You seriously thought that I'd forget the birthday hug?" He asked and hugged me tightly.

Instead of pulling away, he lifted me up in the air and made a twirl. I was laughing out of happiness.

 _I love you._

I wanted to say that. But I knew it would complicate things, so I didn't.

….

I woke up, sweat running down my face.

"No…" A whimper escaped my lips.

"Hey." I heard a whisper.

I changed my lying position into a sitting one.

"So it wasn't a dream…" I thought out loud.

"Nope." Said Josh and got up from the couch he was sleeping in.

We were both keeping our voices down in attempt to not wake up the others.

"Do you wanna go get some clean air?" He suggested.

"Yeah."

He quietly got up and went in the balcony. It was kind of chilly but the night was beautiful; the stars were all over the place making the sky illuminated.

"You know, I missed you." Said Josh after some silent stargazing.

"Me too." I said looking him in they eyes.

"I love you." The sentence escaped my lips before I could stop it.

I opened my mouth to try and fix what I did, but Josh stopped me.

"I love you too, Sam-"

 _I love you…_

My heart took control over my actions and I found my lips dangerously close to Josh's. They were about to touch when Josh pulled back.

"-but we gotta pull _this_ aside for a while, ok?"

I was too startled from everything to speak.

"Ok?" He asked again.

I looked down and then up at him again.

"I promise, that if us being friends works out, we will try. I promise." He said with a serious tone.

"You do?"

"Yes."

A breeze of wind blew and made me shiver.

"Come here." He said and pulled me closer warming me up a little.

"Can you say it again, please?" I whispered while he was hugging me.

He didn't have to ask what I meant.

"Sam, it does not good if we keep playing with it. You don't wanna get burnt do you?"

"No…"

"It's getting cold, we should get inside." He said after some more stargazing.

I simply nodded and let him lead me inside the house. I entered the sleeping bag and closed my eyes.

After some time, I felt him kneel beside me.

"I love you." He whispered to my ear and left.

I smiled and fell asleep.

…..

"I still can't believe that Justin Rowen is throwing a party for you at his mansion!" Jess whispered with excitement as we exited the car.

"What _I_ can't believe is that he let you bring who ever you wanted." Said Ash, who was equally excited.

"Name?" Asked the guy in the entrance.

"Samantha Wood." I said and his lips shaped into a smile.

"Happy birthday, Ms Wood." He murmured as he opened the doors.

"Holy shit." I said when I saw the whole scenery.

He had turned his house into a nightclub. There were 3 different bars, with expert bartenders on service, a huge dance floor with a DJ playing the latest hits and laser lights were shining all over the place in neon bright colors.

"Samantha!" I heard a voice behind me.

"Justin."

"Happy birthday." He said and pulled me into a hug.

"Thank you. For everything."

"My pleasure."

"Ladies…" He said to my friends.

"Hello, Justin." Said Jess

"Hi." Murmured Ash.

"Where's Mike?" Justin asked Jess.

"He is parking the car along with Chris and Josh."

"Okay… Have fun." He said and disappeared into the crowd.

"He is _so_ hot." Said Ash.

"I know right?!" Said Jess.

I just shrugged.

"Ehem…" A voice said behind us.

"Hey, guys…" Said Jess.

"He leave you for a minuet to park the car and you find someone to crush on?" Asked Mike.

"We were just…" Started Jess.

"… appreciating beauty." Ended Ash.

Chris and Mike rolled their eyes.

"We are so much better than him…" Murmured Chris.

"That, we agree." Said Mike.

"Whatever you say honey…" Said Jess kissing Mike.

"Hello, ladies and gentlemen. I am your host Justin Rowen." Said Justing through a microphone, at the DJ booth.

Everybody applauded.

"I'd like to ask you all to wish happy birthday to our guest of honors, Samantha Wood."

A mix of wishes, applauds and whistles followed.

"Before I let the mike down, I'd like to ask her to give me the first dance." He said and the music turned into a slow song.

I turned back to face my friends.

"Where is Josh?" I asked when I noticed his absence.

Chris shrugged.

"He is fine. Go!" Ordered Jess and pushed me into the crowd.

I took a deep breath and started moving towards Justin and the DJ station.

"There she is." Said Justin when he saw me approaching him.

"Can I?" I asked gesturing the mike.

"Of course." He said handing it to me and gestured the Dj to stop the music.

"I'd like to thank you all for coming to this incredible party organized by an amazing friend of mine. His name is Justin Rowen, you might have heard him."

Some people laughed.

"He is a wonderful person, and an great friend. But, I never saw him more than a friend. So, I'd like to share the first dance with a person that I admit, I've felt everything about him. If you hear me, please come and dance with me."

People were waiting for that person to come, just as much as I was. I waited for a couple of minuets, but nothing.

"I am sorry…" Justin whispered.

"No, Justin… _I_ am sorry; for embarrassing you."

"You didn't embarrass me, Sam."

Suddenly, people started gasping. A person was moving through the crowd and was heading towards me.

"Sorry I made you wait. Shall we?" He said asking for my hand.

I gave it to him and he led me to the center of the dance floor while the Dj put the slow song back on. We started slow dancing.

"I didn't think you were going to come." I murmured.

He spin me and then pulled me closer to him.

"I didn't think I was going to either."

I smiled.

"Thanks." I said after some more swirling.

"I should be thanking you, for saying no to the host and choosing me. For saying all those amazing things about me."

"I was just following my heart."

The song became more intense, and so did our dance. Every time he would pull me close to him after a spin, I could swear our lips would touch. Before the ending of the song, he raised me up and did a little spin.

The music stopped and everybody just stared at us. Justin was the first one to applaud, encouraging the other guests to do so.

"That was… amazing." I whispered as the dance floor filled with people and the song changed into a fast one.

"Yeah…" Said Josh.

We just started at each others eyes for a while. When I started walking towards my friends, he grabbed my arm and pulled me towards him.

"You know, I am feeling kind of crazy tonight." He whispered to my ear.

"Is that a good thing?" I asked.

"I don't know."

"Follow me." He quickly added.

He led me outside the house to a magnificent patio, so we could have some privacy. Nobody was around and the music was barely audible.

"So… That dance, _man_ , there was so much… _chemistry_ in it. I really felt it." He started mumbling.

"Me too." I said, not knowing where he was taking this.

"And I thought, that since we did so great in it, we could… I don't know how to say it…"

I gave him a reassuring look and a nod to continue.

"We could approach our… _romantic relationship_ by it." He said obviously happy to be done with it.

"That's why you brought me here? To dance? There is a dance floor and a DJ inside, if you didn't notice."

"Well, I wanted us to dance to something special."

"Is it a yes, or a no?" He asked.

I simply nodded.

"Just gimme one sec, ok?" He said with the brightest smile.

He took out his phone and opened youtube. I didn't see what he typed at the search box, but as soon as the first note was played, I knew the exact song.

"Do you remember?" He asked as he placed his hands on my waist.

"How can I not?" I said while laughing.

"That bitch made us do it five times in a row! In burning sunlight." I said giggling at the memory.

"But it was worth it; we aced it."

"You know we would have aced it even without doing it so many times."

He just smiled and twirled me.

"Do you remember that move?" He said after performing it.

"Yeah." I said, not able to stop laughing.

If you had asked me then, when I was 6th Grade, I would have never imagined that I would be dancing the song our bitch of a teacher made us over rehearse for some lame celebration with Josh on my birthday party hosted at the manor of my billionaire friend.

The song was ending and I was extremely sad about it. Everything was so magical, I didn't want it to end. Suddenly, Josh pulls me from a twirl, but this time closer to him. In fact, so close, that our lips finally touch. I got lost in the feeling.

"Sam…" Josh whispers when he pulls away.

"I love you." I said and leaned forward, so our lips could meet again.

After one more soft kiss, Josh pushed me gently away.

"I'm sorry; I am not ready. We shouldn't have rushed things." He started.

I felt like someone stabbed me with a dagger in my heart.

"I am so sorry… I hurt you again." He said.

"It's fine…I've gotten used to it." I murmured.

He looked down.

"That was not supposed to sound witty; I swear."

"I'm so sorry, and I don't want this to influence our friendship."

"It won't. Have a nice night." I said and disappeared into the house.

…

"A tequila."

"I think you've had too many… What's that, your 4th?"

"Who are you to give me life advice, huh? You know nothing."

"You are wrong; I know when a person is drunk."

"Can you please shut up and give me my tequila? It's my birthday."

He sighed and handed it to me.

"Thanks." I said and emptied my glass.


	12. Chapter 11

**_A/N: HI, guys. I am sorry its been a while but I've had lots of tests and projects for school. You should know, that I already have a basic idea of how the pollen will evolve, so the part that takes time is actually writing it. Anyways, stay tuned, follow and favorite. I'd like to say that feedback helps a lot and I really appreciate you giving some time of your life to write a review. Enjoy._**

"Where am I?" The sentence escaped my mouth as I opened my eyes, only to see an unknown bedroom.

"In my bedroom." I heard a male voice say.

I was still hangover so, I couldn't make out if it was a known voice or not.

I blinked a few times, my eyes trying to adjust. I looked down to the floor and saw my dress laying on the floor.

"Oh no…"

What had I done?

"Relax, Sam." The male spoke again.

"Wh- who are you?"

"Josh…" He said, confused I asked.

Relief flooded through me.

"What am I doing here?" I asked,.

"You got really drunk last night."

God… Last night was such a blur.

"Did you carry me here?"

"Not exactly… Come find me in the kitchen; there is bathing robe you can wear on the bed." He said and left the room.

I got up and examined the room. It was incredibly fancy; Washington style. I took the robe and wore it, covering the black lacy underwear I was wearing.

"You want some coffee?" Josh asked me as soon as entered the kitchen.

"Yes, please."

He poured me some coffee and then we sat in the balcony.

"So… What happened last night?" I asked after some time.

"You don't remember?" He asked shocked.

"No, I don't… Please tell me I didn't do something incredible stupid."

He looked away and got up.

"I am going for a refill, want some?" He said while opening the door to the kitchen.

"Josh, what did I do?"

"I'll take that as a no. Be right back." He said and vanished in the kitchen.

I took a sip and tried to focus. After some time, the memories started flooding in.

….

 _"Justin!" I screamed so I could be heard through the loud music._

 _"Sam!" Said Justin excited he saw me._

 _"Do you have some where private and quite we can talk?" I whispered in his ear._

 _I would not let Josh's rejection ruin my fun tonight._

 _"Sure; follow me."_

 _He took my hand and led me to the screening room. The music was barely audible and we were alone. It was perfect._

 _"You, know, Justin… I never got the chance to thank you for this party."_

 _"It's really nothing…"_

 _I giggled._

 _"This is not nothing, Justin."_

 _"And how are you thinking of thanking me?"_

 _"Well, I have something in mind."_

 _"And what could that be?"_

 _I flashed him a smile. I then run my hand down his chest while whispering to his ear._

 _"Wait and see…"_

 _I kissed him deeply, biting down on his lip. I pulled back and he looked at me with eyes wide open. He opened his mouth to speak, but I didn't give him a chance to. I pushed him down to the chair and then straddled him. I started kissing him again, starting form the lips and continuing to his neck. I felt him running his hand down on my back. Without taking my mouth away from his lips, I started unbuttoning his shirt. Justin was hot, he was a gentleman, he was everything a girl would dream of. And I had him in the palm of my hand._

 _With every kiss, I felt my self more attracted to him. I felt his hands playing with my zipper. Suddenly, I felt a force pulling me off Justin._

 _"What the-" Escaped my lips._

 _"Josh?!" I said as soon as I realized who the 'force' was._

 _"I am gonna deal with you later." He said giving Justin a disgusted look._

 _"Hey, she came and kissed me, ok?" Said Justin while trying to button his shirt._

 _"She is drunk!" Josh shouted._

 _"No, I am not." I argued._

 _Josh shook his head disappointedly._

 _"Let's go." He said and grabbed my hand._

 _"Mate, she might wanna stay. Are you afraid to give her the chance?" Said Justin while Josh opened the door._

 _"On a second thought…" He said to him self and rushed towards Justin._

 _Everything happened so fast. At first, Josh punched Justin. Then, he grabbed me and led me outside the house._

 _"Get in." He ordered furious._

 _I obeyed and got in the car._

 _…._

"God…"

"What's wrong?" Asked Josh, who returned holding a cup full of coffee.

I just stared at him blankly.

"You remembered, didn't you?" He said, sounding sad.

I nodded.

"How much of it?"

"Until we entered the car."

It might have been me, but he looked relieved.

"Is there more?" I asked.

"No… You passed out while I was driving, I carried you to my house, and laid you on my bed."

"Did you undress me?"

"Yes… I-I thought you'd be more comfortable without your dress." He said quite uneasy.

"I kissed Justin, and you punched him."

"Sorry for that. I was quite drunk my self and he was taking advantage of you."

"No, Josh. I should thank you."

"It was really nothing…"

"I am so stupid." I said burying my face in my hands.

"Hey, don't say that." Said Josh approaching me.

"It's true… If I hadn't gotten drunk-" I stared but he cut me off.

"That's my fault, actually."

"How?"

"I hurt you."

"Josh… I should have handled it better."

He just looked down and didn't talk.

"My head hurts." I said grumpily.

"A shower would make you feel better." He suggested.

"Can I use yours?" I asked, hoping I wouldn't leave him this soon.

"Of course."

…..

I entered the shower and let hot water run on me. I closed my eyes and enjoyed the feeling. Then all of a sudden, more memories came flooding in.

…

 _"Why did we leave the party?" I asked, walking in Josh's house._

 _"Because you are drunk." He said entering the house and closing the door._

 _"I'm not."_

 _"You are right; you are not drunk. You are wasted."_

 _I rolled my eyes at him._

 _"How many drinks did you have?" He asked._

 _"Around 2…"_

 _He raised his eyebrow._

 _"… bottles." I added._

 _He sighed._

 _"Come." He said and led me to his bedroom._

 _"You can wear a shirt of mine to feel more comfortable, if you want to." He said pointing at the drawer._

 _"I'll be in the living room if you need me. Now, sleep." He ordered and was about to leave the room._

 _"Josh?" I said stopping him._

 _"Yeah?"_

 _"You know what I don't understand?" I said moving closer to him._

 _"No…"_

 _"You didn't want Justin to kiss me, right?"_

 _"I just didn't want him to take advantage of you being drunk, that's all."_

 _I groaned._

 _"Come on, Josh! Just be honest; you were jealous."_

 _"Ok. Maybe a little bit." He admitted_

 _I grinned._

 _"So… You like me."_

 _Josh didn't talk._

 _"And I like you."_

 _He remained silent._

 _"And here comes the part that I don't understand; why are we still wearing our clothes?"_

 _"Sam… It's not that simple."_

 _"Yes, it is." I said._

 _I gave him a passionate kiss, which turned into an intense make out. While we were kissing, I started pulling him backwards, until I fell on the bed. I pulled him on top of me and then turned us, so I was on top. I quickly unbuttoned his shirt, throwing it on the floor. He then run his hands down my back, unzipping my dress in the process. I threw it on the floor as well and kissed Josh once more. I started placing kisses down his chest and felt his hands tangling my hair. I pulled back for a second and then leaned for another kiss, but Josh stopped me._

 _"Sam." It seemed like he was trying really hard to say that._

 _"Yeah?" I said while kissing his neck._

 _"You are drunk."_

 _"And you are hot. Why are we listing facts?"_

 _"Stop…" He raised me and got me off him._

 _"You don't like it?"_

 _"I love it, Sam… It's just-"_

 _"You don't want to take advantage of me."_

 _"Yeah."_

 _He got up and headed towards the door._

 _"Do you think that this will ruing our relationship?" I asked getting up as well._

 _"I hope not." He answered._

 _"Then let me give you one more kiss, while I still have the 'I was drunk' excuse."_

 _He smiled and I leaned forward, placing a small kiss on his lips. He kissed me back but then pulled back._

 _"You sure you haven't changed your mind?" I asked._

 _"Goodnight, Sam."_

 _I just flashed a smile. After he left, I fell on his bed, certain that he would be dreaming about me tonight._

 _…_

I knew I had to confront Josh; or had I? I should tell him that I know, right? I should…

I got off the shower and wrapped my self in a towel. I then walked in the living room, where I found him watching Tv.

"Hey, Sam. Do you feel better?" He asked.

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath.

"I know you lied."


	13. Chapter 12

**_A/N: This story has almost reached 25.000 views, which ultimately crazy. Thanks so much for all the support. You are amazing. As always, stay tuned, follow and favorite. Also, don't forget to leave a review, it helps a lot. Also, I decided to spice things up. I hope you like it… Enjoy._**

"Sam… I-"

"Don't try to deny it. I know what happened."

He looked down.

"Why did you lie?" I asked sounding both pissed and betrayed.

"I was ashamed, ok? I was ashamed of letting _it_ happen. Of not being sober enough to stop you."

"But you didn't let _it_ happen! You stopped me."

"Not immediately. I can't go around punching guys for taking advantage of you and then take you home and do it my self."

"That's the thing, Josh! You did not take advantage of me. I'd never kiss Justin if I wasn't drunk, but, _you_ , I'd kiss you anytime." I started shouting and ended whispering.

Josh looked at me startled.

"So… Actually, I took advantage of you being drunk."

"That's ridiculous, Sam."

"No, its not. You'd never make out with me if you wasn't drunk."

"That's a lie."

"A lie…" I repeated.

"Don't tell me you don't know that."

I looked down.

"I really, really, don't know what to be sure about anymore, ok?

"Sam…"

All of this was leading to the same old conversation. And I was sick and tired of it.

"I should go." I whispered.

"You know you don't have to." He said firmly trying to hide any emotion.

"Let's say, I stay. Then what?"

"I dunno… We could just chill, I guess."

"And pretend that _it_ never happened?"

"If that is what you want, yes."

"What do _you_ want?"

"Not to lose you." He whispered.

"Then why do you keep pushing me away?" I asked, my voice filled with frustration.

"Because if I did what I want, not caring about how wrong it is I-" Josh started but I cut him off.

"This is just the same old conversation. " I said bitterly.

"Sam…"

"If I am right, we now say goodbye." I joked.

Josh took my hand.

"How long will this pattern go on?"

"Until you give up. " He said, half joking.

I gave him a serious look.

"I'll never give up on you."

He gave me a smile.

"I don't know how selfish it may sound, but really hope you don't."

I gave him a last look and got ready to go.

"Goodbye." He joked and I poked out my tongue for a response.

…

I was on the elevator, on my ride home. The doors were opening and I was searching for my keys in my bag.

"Sam!" A familiar voice said.

Oh no… I had to deal with him as well.

"Justin." I said, making it clear in my voice I wasn't happy to see him.

He was standing in front of my door.

"What are you doing here?" I asked with a sigh while unlocking the door.

"Actually, how long have you been here?" I quickly added.

"Not much. I was about to leave, but then you came. As for the first question, I think you know why."

I opened the door and walked in.

"Can I come in?"

"Whatever." I said kicking off my heels.

"Look, I know you are mad at me, and I understand the reason but-" He started but I cut him off.

"I'm not mad; just tired."

I felt bad for treating him like that, but I really did not have the energy for dealing with our complicated relationship right now. One at a time…

"So you didn't have much sleep last night, did you? I mean, guessing by the fact that you were not in your home and that you are still wearing your dress…"

"What are you implying?"

"Hey, calm down… Just guessing."

"Well, you guessed wrong."

"So, you didn't spent the night at Josh's."

"Even though it none of your business, yes, I did."

"And…?"

"You are really pushing the boundaries here, Justin."

"Sorry, I just want to be here for you to talk."

"I don't need to talk to you. Not right now."

"He hurt you again, didn't he?"

"Please go."

"Did- did he take advantage of you?" There was true concern in his voice.

I shook my head.

"Please go, Justin." I said after some time of him looking at me, waiting for something.

"I just wanted you to know that I am really sorry."

"I know."

"You do?"

"Yes. I just wanna be alone, right now."

"Okay…" Said Justin heading for the door.

"Feel free to call me if you need anything."

"I will; thanks." I said and he left, closing the door behind him.

…

I had changed into my Pjs and was chilling on my couch watching Tv, when my door bell rang.

"Who is it?" I asked, without even bothering to get up.

"It's me. Now get your fat ass up and open the door."

I sighed and opened, the door, letting Jess in.

"Why are you here?" I asked.

"Um… To discuss about last night, duh?!"

"How do you know?" I asked miserable, due to the fact that more people knew about the disastrous night of my 21st birthday.

"Justin called and said that you didn't want to talk to him, so I should visit you."

"God…"

"Come on, Sam! He only wants to take care of you."

"Well, maybe, all of you should understand that sometimes, I don't want to be taken care of."

"On behalf of Ash, who couldn't make it because of a paper due tomorrow, 'Get over your pride and let us help you'."

I sighed.

"So, what exactly happened last night?"

"Didn't Justin tell you?"

"Not much. Only that it was 'Josh related'. I need details."

I looked down.

Her eyes were confused at first, but then, when her mind came upon a realization, her eyes widened.

"No… You didn't…"

"No, no… We didn't."

She sighed from relief.

"Then what the hell happened, Sam?"

….

"And what do you plan on doing?" Asked Jess after I had finished describing last night.

I shrugged.

"I have an idea. How about we go spend the weekend at my parents lake house? We could get away from everybody; just us three. You, Ash and me."

"Jess, that sounds amazing."

"Seriously? No buts?"

"No. I am really looking forward to it." I said honestly.

"Cool! Let's go shopping. We both need new bikinis."

She then reached for her bag.

"I'm finally going to use-" Jess started while searching her wallet.

"Shit! I must have left it at home."

"Left what at home?" I asked, not being able to follow her thoughts.

"My brand new credit card."

"That's not a problem, right? You can go get it."

"Could you do it, actually? I just remembered I have to return a book I borrowed from the library. I was supposed to give it back a week ago, but I totally forgot."

"You borrow books from a library?" I asked clearly surprised.

"I had a project… Anyways, are you going to get it for me, or not?"

I sighed.

"Give me the keys…"

"Thanks so much! I've left it on my bedpost." She said and handed me the keys.

She then got up and walked towards the door.

"See ya at the mall." She said and left my apartment.

….

I unlocked her apartment and walked in. On the floor, were some of Mike's clothes. God… He is so messy.

As I was walking towards the bedroom, I noticed some female clothing on the floor. Normally, I would assume it was Jess' , but she it wasn't her style. Something strange was happening…

I finally reached the door and opened it.

"Oh, Mike…"

Mike's eyes widened as soon as he saw me.

"Sam!"

"Sam?! Seriously?! You've slept with her too?" Said the girl getting off Mike.

"Sam, I- we…" Mike started apologizing causing the girl to turn facing me.

"Sam…" She said, both our eyes widening, as soon we realized who we were looking at.

"No… No." I said shaking my head in denial.

 ** _A/N: Sorry for the cliffhanger. Feel free to try and guess who it might be and share it in the review section. Love ya._**


	14. Chapter 13

**_A/N: I'd like to say congratulations to everyone who find out who the girl was. As always, stay tuned, follow and favorite. Don't forget to review; I really appreciate the feed back._**

"We can explain." She said.

"Explain? Explain?!" I shouted, on the verge of tears.

"How could you do this to them?!" I continued shouting.

"Sam, please-" She started, but I gestured her to stop.

I stormed out of the bedroom, shutting the door. Shortly after I stared pacing up and down in the living room.

It couldn't be true. No… This is all a terrible nightmare. I am justing waiting for my alarm clock to ring, that's all.

"Sam!" She said emerging out of the bedroom covered in a bath robe.

"How? Wh-why?"

All these questions I had…

"Sam, I can explain, I can." She started.

"Then do so!" I shouted.

Mike joined us, wearing a pair of boxers. He stood right next to her, his hand placed around her waist.

"What about Jess?" I asked.

"O-or Chris?" I added, causing her to look down.

"Sam, he can't know about _this._ It will destroy him. It will destroy both of them."

"Are you suggesting that I don't tell him?"

"For now. I mean until-" She started but I cut her off.

"Are you kidding me?! You are going to make lie to my best friends?" I shouted, my voice trembling.

"I am your best friend." She whispered, as if she was afraid to say it.

"I am not sure about that anymore." I said coldly.

"Sam, we are not asking you to lie about this to anyone. We just ask for some time. Time to explain it to you. Time to figure it out ourselves…" Said Mike.

"You are upset. Please don't make a horrible mistake you will regret over."

"Fine." I agreed.

"Tonight. 8 pm. My apartment."

"Thank you so much, Sam." Said Ashley, but I ignored her.

"8 pm." I said and closed the door behind me.

….

"Jess… I am sorry, I can't really make it." I said, trying to hide the fact that my voice was trembling.

"What? What's wrong?" She asked from the other end of the phone.

"I just feel a bit sick, that's all." I said trying to fight tears off.

"Do you want me to come over?"

"No. Have fun shopping."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah."

"Okay… Get better soon. Love ya." She said and hung up.

I couldn't hold the tears anymore. She was such a good person, she didn't deserve this. And certainly not Chris. What will I do? Oh my god… This is so awful.

….

"Um… Mike couldn't make it." Said Ashley as she walked into my house.

She probably wanted a response, but I just stood there.

"You said you could explain." I said after some silent staring.

"Yeah… From where should I start."

"The beginning, I guess."

She nodded and was about to start, when I interrupted her.

"Do you wanna sit, or something?" I asked, after noticing the fact we were standing.

"That'd be nice…" She said and we sat on the couch.

"You can start." I said.

"So… It all begun couple of weeks ago…"

"You've been screwing our best friend's boyfriends for two week!?"

"No! This was our first time. I swear."

"Then what was happening during those two weeks?"

"Well, Chris was having all those projects, so he didn't have time for me. So, one night a movie I really wanted to see was playing. Obviously, Chris couldn't go with me and I didn't want to go alone, so I called Jess. She then told me that you two had planned to watch a movie at your apartment, and that I was welcome to join. Then, Mike, who heard the conversation, offered to take me watch it."

"And you said yes…"

"Yeah… I mean, it wasn't a date. It happened right in front of Jess' eyes."

"So what happened there?"

"We had such fun watching the movie, that he offered to take me to a nice bistro to eat. I swear Sam, it didn't sound like a date. The only thing he talked about was Jess and how great she was."

"And how did _it_ happen?"

"I don't really know… He had driven me to my house and just before I exited the car, he kissed me. And damn, it felt so good. But I knew I had to walk away, and no matter how hard it was, I did. I exited the car and closed the door behind me. And I cried, and cried. I didn't know what to do. Obviously I couldn't talk to Jess about it, and you had your own problems, so I didn't want to bother you."

"So what did you do?"

"One week later, he showed up in my house. He started telling me about how he couldn't stop thinking about me. I told him that he was crazy to show up in the house house I shared with Chris. He then suggested me coming to his house when Jess wasn't there."

"And this day was today, right?"

"Yes. I lied to you guys, and I felt so terrible about it. I wanted to be there for you, Sam, I did. But I had to solve my own problems. So, I visited their apartment, and Mike started telling me that there is a spark between us. I kept telling to myself, and him, that I love Chris. Because that's the truth, Sam, I swear I do love him."

"And how did you end up having sex?"

"While I was saying that our kiss was a mistake, he kissed me again. But this time, I did not have the strength to push him away. The feeling was simply too good. So, we stared making out and shortly after, we found our selves under the sheets."

I just stared at her, speechless.

"Please say something." She pleaded.

"I need to talk with Mike."

"Why? You don't believe what I told you?"

"No… I wanna know why he kissed you in the first place."

"What do you mean why? He's Mike… He changes girls like they are his sweatshirts…"

"Jess deserves so much better…" I thought out loud.

"I can't describe how sorry I am, Sam…" Tears started falling down her cheeks.

I sighed.

"I won't tell them anything before I talk to Mike."

Her eyes lit up and she suddenly hugged me.

"Thank you so much." She whispered.

I couldn't find the strength to push her away, so I simple stood there.

….

Ashley had left a while ago, and all I could do was cry. What would I do? I was suddenly torn up. My best friends had been dived into two opposite troops. One of them would go down, and I chose which one.

This was too much too handle by myself. I would have never done was I am heading to, if I had another choice. But I don't, so here I am.

I knocked on the door.

"Sam?" He said after opening the door and seeing me standing there.

"What are you doing here? It's almost midnight." He asked.

Tears started running down my cheeks.

"I- I don't have anyone else to talk to…" I whispered, while trying to wipe my tears.

"Hey, come here." He said and pulled me into a hug.

"I 'm sorry… I should just go. You don't need my problems…"

"Don't say that. I meant what I said at your sleepover. I want to be here for you."

I looked at him and he squeezed me tighter.

"How about we go in and I make us some hot chocolate? Does that sound good?"

I nodded and he led me inside.

"Make yourself home. I won't take much."

"Okay…" I managed to whisper.

 ** _A/N: Who is ready for a Sam x Josh chapter? I'll try to be good and update in less than a week. Love ya._**


	15. Chapter 14

**_A/N: Sorry for not putting any kissing in the Sam x Josh moment, but I decided to let them take it slow. Hope you enjoy it anyway. As always, stay tuned, follow and favorite. Also, don't forget to review, I really appreciate it._**

It didn't take him long to return holding two cups of hot chocolate.

"Thanks." I said while he handed me one.

He sat next to me at the couch.

"To be honest, I feel kind of good that I am not the only one making you miserable."

"That was meant to come out as a joke." He quickly added.

A faint smile appeared on my face.

"I love it when you smile." He said and looked at me.

The smile grew a little bit bigger. Slowly, Josh placed his hand on my cheek. As he caressed it gently, our eyes were looking into each others. His reassuring look made some pain fade away from my eyes.

And then, just like that, he pulled back. And it was all like our little moment had never happened.

"So, what happened?" He asked, kicking me back to reality.

I opened my mouth to try to speak, but words didn't come out. Instead, tears flooded down my eyes.

"Sam… It fine. You can talk about it. I am here for you." His words were so reassuring that it gave me courage to speak.

"Ash…" I finally said.

"What about her?"

"And Mike…" I whispered.

He looked at me waiting for more, but then his eyes widened when he realized what I was implying.

"Are you sure?"

I nodded and started sobbing.

"Hey…" He said pulling me into a hug.

"How do you know?" He asked me.

"I walked on them. In Jess' house. On her bed…" I said while trying to control my sobs.

"What did they say?"

I took a deep breath and wiped all the tears off.

….

"And now I am just waiting to talk to Mike…" I said, and finished describing the situation.

"Do you believe Ashley?"

"Yes. No… I don't know."

"Should I tell them, Josh?" I asked him on the verge of tears.

"It will destroy them. Especially Chris." I added under my breath.

"I think that you should wait for Mike, to tell you his side. Not that it will change something…"

I looked at him waiting for a more direct answer.

"Yes… You should. They deserve to know." He said.

My eyes fell on the clock. It was 1 am.

"I should get going. It's so late…" I observed loudly.

"Thanks for everything." I added and got up.

"Sam." Said Josh and grabbed my hand, stopping me.

"Yeah?"

"You don't need to go." He said.

His sentence made me freeze.

"Spend the night here." He added, letting go of my hand.

I looked down and then at him. It didn't sound like a suggestion; it was more like a plea.

"Okay…" I agreed.

….

I woke up to the smell of freshly made pancakes and coffee.

"Good morning, princess." Joked Josh.

I blinked some times, my eyes trying to adjust. Once more, I found my self in Josh's room, not knowing how I ending up here.

I was about to ask, when I realized that Josh was holding a tray in his hands.

"Breakfast in bed?" I asked as he helped me stabilize the tray on my legs.

"You deserve being taking care off." He said and sat next to me.

I took some bites of my pancakes and some sips from my coffee.

"So… How did I end up here again?" I asked making Josh laugh.

"We were watching Tv and you fell asleep."

"Let me guess; you carried me here, didn't you?"

He nodded.

"God… I should stop coming here and throwing you off your bed."

"Well, you didn't exactly throw me off it last night…"

"What do you mean?"

"So, as you guessed, I carried you here and placed you on my bed. I was about to go, when you grabbed my hand. I didn't want to wake you up, so I thought I could lay next to you and wait until you let go. But you didn't… And then I fell asleep."

I know that was supposed to be awkward, but I did not feel like it was.

We stayed silent for some while. I was the one to break the silence first.

"So, I've been meaning to ask you about this as well…"

"What is it?"

"Jess suggested we spent the weekend at her lake house, away from everyone."

"That's great, right? Don't tell me you can't go cause you'll be missing me." He said in a serious tone, but obviously joking.

"No, that's not the case…" I said while laughing.

"Then what's wrong?"

"When she said _we,_ she meant Ashley too."

"Oh."

"Yeah…"

"When did she suggest this?"

"Before I learned."

"So… You don't want her to come."

I nodded.

"It will just be weird." I said.

"So, what do you plan on doing?"

"I won't go, I guess."

"What? That's stupid, Sam."

"It is?"

"Of course. You deserve this."

"I know, but I can't just tell her to not come."

"Yes, you can."

"No. I can't. I mean, what will I tell her?"

"That if she was around something could slip off you."

"Well, I guess I could say that. And it would make sense too."

"See? I told you…"

"I need to go. I have to pack for the trip." I said and carefully pushed the tray aside.

He smiled at me and helped me up.

"Feel free to come here anytime you want." He said, honesty all over his face.

"Will do." I said.

Suddenly he pulled me into a bro-hug. When he finally pulled away, he leaned towards me slowly ad gave me a small kiss on my forehead.

"Have fun."

…

"Hello, Ashley. It's me; Sam…" I said nervously.

"Sam!" She said, obviously excited to hear from me.

"So, have you thought about what you are going to do?" She asked.

"Um… No, not yet. That's not why I called."

She reminded silent waiting for me to tell her.

"Jess suggested us visiting her parents' lake house this weekend…"

"Are you inviting me? Sam, you don't believe how much I appreciate your trying to make things better. Thanks so-"

I didn't let her finish the sentence. It is already painful for me to tell her the bad news and know she made it even worse.

"Actually… I was thinking that it would be better if you _didn't_ come…" I said, bitting my lip waiting for a response.

"Oh…" The disappointment and sadness in her voice made me feel really bad.

"I'm sorry _Ash._ I'm just afraid that something might slip, you know?"

"Yeah… Totally. Don't worry about it. I'll tell Jess I have to study…"

"Thanks so much, Ashley…"

"Have fun." She said and hung up the phone.

How did things get like this?

….

"So, Ash can't make it. Again…" Said Jess while we were packing her car with my luggage.

"Did you notice anything weird about her?" She asked catching me off guard.

"Um… No." I said trying to hide the fact I was lying.

"Anyways; Are you ready to have a super fun weekend with your bestie?" She asked, closing the door of the port baggage.

"Hell yeah!" I said trying to convert my guilt to enthusiasm.

"Get in the car." She ordered.

As soon as we both got in the car, she turned the radio on and raised the volume.

"Sing it with me, Sam. It's my jam!" She said while pressing the throttle and starting the car.

"No."

"Please?" She asked, taking a pause from singing but returning to it, as soon as she stopped talking to me.

"No…" I said shaking my head.

Shortly after, the song changed. All of a sudden, Jess put it back on.

"What are you doing?!" I asked.

"We are going to be listening to it until you sing with me."

"Are you kidding me?"

"Nope."

After listening to it three more times, I finally gave in and started singing in a low voice.

"Louder." She ordered.

I started singing in a normal voice.

"LOUDER!" She shouted.

I stared shouting the lyrics, just like Jess was doing. The song ended and we were both giggling.

"See how fun it was?"

"I must admit it was quite entertaining."

Jess just grinned and pressed the throttle even harder.

 ** _A/N: Who is excited for their little trip? Small spoiler: They will meet (or should I say reunite) with someone exciting and pretty important to the storyline. Until then, love ya._**


	16. Chapter 15 (Halloween Special)

**_A/N: So, I wanted to make a halloween special, but couldn't upload it yesterday for some technical difficulties… Anyway… Enjoy and as always, stay tuned, follow and favorite. Also, feedback helps a lot._**

"You know which one is your room. Go unpack your things and meet me at the dock in 10." Said Jess and walked inside the lake house.

It was big (well, not Washington big, of course) and had this welcoming feel.

"Okay." I said and started ascending the stairs that led to the guest room.

"Oh, and don't forget to change into your brand new swimsuit."

"Will do. Anything else?"

"Nothing I can remember right now."

I stepped up the last stair and faced the long hallway. The guest room was at the end, so it took me quite a while to reach it. When I finally did, I threw my bag on the bed, not even bothering to hang my clothes in the closet, and changed into my swimsuit.

I half-sprinted downstairs and then exited the house, heading for their small private dock. The memories started flooding in. I saw all the ''gang'' diving from it. Hannah and Beth looked so happy and cheerful… No. I can't let it consume me.

I started walking towards it, but Jess was no where to be seen. Suddenly, I felt a hand being pressed on my mouth, making me unable to scream. The person started pulling me backwards and panic shot through me. I started pushing and kicking trying to make him let me go.

"Any last words?" The person said.

It was obviously a man, but the voice didn't ring any bells.

I decided there was no worth fighting any more, and I closed my eyes. Then, all of a sudden, he let me go.

"Gotcha!" He said.

"What the hell?!" I screamed while choking.

"God, you were so scared, Jess" He said while laughing.

" _Jess?_ I am not Jess." I said turning around to face him.

What I saw, surprised me. In front of me was standing a handsome guy around my age. He had brown and reddish hair and piercing blue eyes. He was tall as well and seemed quite muscular.

However, he was more surprised to see me, than I was to see him.

"I am so sorry. I thought you were Jessica…" He started apologizing.

"Do you guys pretend to almost kill each other for fun?"

"Well, it's a tradition to prank each other this time of the year."

"Liam." He added and offered his hand.

"Sam." I said and shook it.

"So, are you here with Jess?" He asked.

"Yup… How do _you_ know her?"

He opened his mouth to answer but Jess showed up.

"Hey, Sam, you met Liam." She said.

"What's up?" She asked him after giving him a hug.

"Not much… How about you?"

"A lot actually… But, look, Liam… I'd love to invite you in and talk all day, but I promised Sam a girls weekend."

"Oh, yeah, definitely." He said, looking really disappointed.

He started walking away, but then stopped and turned facing us again.

"You know, my sister is throwing a halloween party this night and it would be amazing to have you and Sam over."

"Ok, we'll thing about it." She said and he flashed her a smile before disappearing.

I gave Jess a look.

"What?!"

"He's really hot, you know…"

"I have Mike, Sam."

"Just listing facts."

"Let's go swim while the water is still warm."

We walked on the dock and got ready to jump.

"Oh, and he is totally into you." I said.

"Oh shut up!" She said blushing and pushed me into the lake.

My head popped out of the water and I took a breath.

"Just listing facts." I said once more.

"Oh, you are not getting away with this." She shouted while laughing and jumped into the lake herself.

…

"So, are you sure you still want to do this?" Jess asked while looking herself at the mirror.

"Yes, it's going to be fun." I said like I was trying to convince my self.

"And also, red looks so great on you." I added.

"God this costume… I am afraid it will get torn apart with every step I make."

"Maybe you should let it. A devil hot as… hell." I said and winked.

"Ha, ha." She said ironically.

"Now let's go, before I turn you into a frog."

"I am not afraid of you, _Sabrina_."

"Let's go."

…..

The doors opened and we entered the house which was decorated for Halloween a little bit too much. College kids dressed up were all over the place. A guy dressed up as a mummy was making out with a fairy, while a werewolf was howling on the coffee table.

"Jess, Sam, you made it." Said Liam appearing out of nowhere.

"Devil and witch, right?" He asked while looking at our costumes.

"The only ones we had here. They are two sizes small." Whined Jess.

"Well, that's makes them even hotter." Said Liam.

"What about you? Where is your cape count Dracula?" I asked.

"I decided to only keep the fangs and blood and wear my normal clothes."

"Good call." I said and he flashed me a smile showing me his plastic fangs.

"I am going to get a drink, I bet you two have a lot to say." I said and before Jess could protest, disappeared.

….

I was holding my third cup of beer and making my way to the living room. I couldn't really see as it was really dark. I was just following the loud music that was getting even louder as I got closer to the living room.

"Wragh!" Somebody jumped in front of me making me spill my drink.

"Really funny asshole." I said and started trying to get the beer off my costume.

Then all of a sudden, a disco light fell on his face, which looked just like a wendigo. The memories started flooding in and I started shaking. My first instinct was to start backing off, but then I remembered that they couldn't see me if I didn't move. So I closed my eyes and stayed as still as possible. I felt a hand on me and then blacked out.

…..

I opened my eyes slowly.

"Are you ok?" A male voice asked me.

I found out that I was lying on something and tried to get up. The guy helped me into a sitting position.

"Can you hear me?" He asked.

"Yes, I am fine." I said and he sighed with relief.

"I am so sorry. I was just trying to prank you."

"I know, it's not your fault."

I noticed that the music was not loud at all and that we were alone.

"Where are we?"

"In a bedroom. I brought you here so it would be silent."

"I am Caleb, by the way." He said introducing his self.

"Sam."

"Shit…"

"What's wrong?"

"I knew it I had seen you before."

I just started at him confused as hell.

"You are one of the 7 friends that almost died in Blackwood mountain."

I looked away.

"That's why you fainted, right? Did that psycho that hunted you wore a mask like mine?"

"It was a friend of yours, wasn't he?" He added before I could say anything.

"He was…"

"That sick bastard! He deserved to die."

"Nobody deserves to die…" I whispered faintly.

"Sam… I read your story. He invited you up there, tried to kill you and then blew up his house while he was inside it. He was sick. A sick monster."

I looked at him my eyes wide. Was that what the police had said to the people? What about the real monsters? I wanted to tell him the truth so much, but he would think I was crazy.

"I don't really want to talk about it."

"Okay… But, one last thing." He said and got closer.

"You are a survivor. You should be proud of your self." He whispered.

Before I knew it, his lips were on mine. It didn't take me long to pull away.

"What's wrong? You have a boyfriend or something?"

Caleb was handsome and he kissed well, but the feeling was nothing compared to when I kissed Josh.

"Yeah… Or something…"

He looked disappointed.

"It was nice meeting you, Caleb, but I have to go." I said and exited the bedroom.

….

I had searched the entire house twice but Jess was nowhere to be found. I gave up searching and decided to go to a bedroom so I could mute the awfully loud music as much as possible. I opened the door and walked in. I didn't notice right away.

Jess and Liam were sitting on the bed. Jess was hammered and Liam was quite tipsy himself. They were making out and Liam was about to undo her dress.

"Stop!" I shouted and they both turned facing me.

"Sam! Wanna join us?" Asked Jess and giggled.

"Sam…" Liam started but I cut him off.

"We need to go." I said and took Jess' arm.

"See you later, Liam." Said Jess while I pulled her away.

We hadn't even made it to the door, when she fainted in my arms.


	17. Chapter 16

**_A/N: Hello, guys. I would happily like to inform you that this story is nominated for 5 awards in the 'Until Dawn Awards' forum. This is all because of you and the incredible support you have showed me. It would be so amazing if we could win. I even promise that if this story gets at least one award, I will do something special for Christmas (I haven't decided yet, so feel free to leave your suggestions by writing a review). So, if you want to vote for the 'Butterfly Effect', go to this link (_** ** _forum/Until-Dawn-Awards/185214/_** ** _). You can find all rules there. As always, stay tuned, follow, favorite. Feedback helps so much. Enjoy._**

"Sam!"

"Sam?!"

Great; the princess is awake.

"Coming." I shouted and I rushed to her room.

She was laying on the bed, right where I had left her last night.

"My head hurts." She whined.

"Well, if you hadn't gotten that drunk yesterday, it wouldn't."

"Yesterday…"

"Do you remember last night?" I asked and sat on her bed, next to her.

She closed her eyes, trying hard to remember. Suddenly her eyes flashed open and a gasp escaped her mouth.

"Oh my god!I kissed Liam." She said, her voice full of pure panic and regret.

"No, no… Mike…" She said more panicked than before..

"Hey, don't worry about it." I said trying to calm her down.

"What do you mean don't worry?! Mike will be furious."

"No he won't be, Jess. It was a drunken kiss. They don't matter."

"Seriously?"

"Yeah… Mike admitted he had some himself. Late night at bars, girls approached him and kissed him. It didn't mean anything. So, there is nothing to worry about."

God all these lies. I hated them. It would be so easier to tell her the truth. However, I had promised Ashley to wait for Mike to talk to me.

Jess looked hesitant.

"So, I don't even have to mention it?"

"Nope… No need."

"Are you sure?"

"Totally. Now change into your clothes and join me for fresh morning coffee on the porch." I needed to change the subject or else I would screw up with all these lies and things I made up.

"Okay." She said giving me a smile.

…..

I was sitting on the porch drinking my coffee, when I heard someone calling my name.

"Who's there?" I asked.

"It's Liam." He said from the bushes he was hiding in.

"What are you doing here?" I asked trying to keep my voice low, just in case Jess showed up.

"I wanted to talk to you."

"We don't have time; Jess is coming any second now."

"Shit! She can't see me."

"Then go!"

"But I need to talk to you."

"Now is not the time, Liam."

"How about you come over my house this afternoon?" He suggested.

"What about Jess?"

"I'm sure you'll make up and excuse."

I sighed.

"Ok, I will come. Now, go!" I ordered and he quickly disappeared.

"Are you talking to somebody?" Said Jess making me jump.

"Um… No. I was thinking out loud." The lie came so fast on my lips that it disgusted me.

"Since when do you do that?"

"I don't know… I guess it's a new habit."

She raised an eyebrow.

"What?" I asked trying to hide the fact that my voice was shaking.

"Nothing." Said Jess obviously not meaning it.

…..

I rang the door bell twice, just to be sure he heard me.

"Sam, come in." He said after opening the door.

"I don't have much time. I told Jess I was going for a walk. It took me ages to convince her not to join me."

"Thanks for coming, it means a lot."

He led me to the living room, where we got seated on a huge sofa.

"Look, about yesterday… I know that Jess has a boyfriend, and that you are friends with him-"

"Stop." I cut him off.

"Do you love her?" I asked.

"With all my heart. Not that it matters, anyway… She only has eyes for that Mike, or whatever his name is."

"Liam…"

"They are happy together, Sam. And I love her too much to take that from her."

"You are wrong." I whispered.

"What do you mean?"

"Her boyfriend, Mike, is an asshole. He cheated on her with one of our best friends."

"What?" His voice was full of surprise and disgust.

"And when she learns, it will take her a lot of time to be happy again."

He was just staring at me, his mouth hanging open.

"So, here you come in."

"When she is in her worst time, surrounded by sorrow, you come in and be her knight in shiny armor."

He just kept staring at me.

"I got to go… Think about it." I murmured and headed for the exit.

"Sam?" He finally said, while I was opening the door.

"Yeah?" I said turning back to face him.

"Thanks for trusting me." He said.

I just smiled faintly before leaving.

…

"We should _so_ do that again." Said Jess as I was taking my luggage from her car.

"Yeah. It was fun." I said trying hard to smile.

I heard the engine roaring while I opened the door to the building where my apartment was. By the time the elevator arrived, Jess had already left.

I entered my house and started hanging my clothes back to my closet. I was midway through my second bag when the doorbell rang. I was expecting it to be Jess, assuming she forgot something.

"Oh, hey… I wasn't expecting you that soon." I said after opening the door.

"Is it a bad time?" He asked.

"No, come in." I said with a sigh.

"I'm so grateful you haven't told Jess anything-" He started but I cut him off.

"I promised Ashley I wouldn't say anything until we talked. Nothing more." I said coldly.

"I believe you want the story, or at least my side of it, huh?"

I nodded.

"I don't know what Ash told you, but it is pretty simple. I still love Jess; I'm just not _in_ love with her. There is no passion between us anymore. And I missed passion… So when I found it in Ash, I went for it."

"She said you pushed her in to doing it. She loves Chris."

"I just helped to ignite the flame. Everything else was her choice. And I don't say she is not, but let's be honest, there is no passion between them anymore. Well, there was never in the first time. Simple love can't survive, Sam. Passion is the key to a successful relationship."

"I see…"

"What are you going to do?"

It didn't take me any time to answer.

"I give you one week to tell them. If you don't, I will."

….

"It's so unfair that you have to carry such a heavy emotional weight."

I just sighed.

"How was your weekend?"

"Complicated."

"Not fun, or relaxing?"

"Kind of… For Jess, at least. But just seeing her so happy and knowing that she would be destroyed a few days later… It just darkened my whole mood."

"You deserve to go out, have some fun. You know that, right?"

"I'm having a good time here with you." I whispered.

"Watching this crappy movie?"

I nodded.

Just being around him made me feel good.

I noticed him taking a deep breath, like he was preparing himself for something.

"So…" He started.

"Yeah?"

"… we've been hanging out for quite a while now, and it is going great."

I nodded, gesturing him to tell more.

He took my hand in his. I could feel hi shaking.

"And you desperately need to go out and have some fun."

"Josh Washington, are you asking me out on a date?" I asked trying to be humorous about it so I could hide how nervous I was.

"Only if you say yes."

"Well, it depends. What day?" I joked, unable to hide the huge stupid grin from my face.

"Tomorrow afternoon. I pick the place; and it's a surprise."

"Should I be scared?" I joked.

"A lot." He said and we both laughed.

"How long have you been planing this?" I asked after a while.

"Since your birthday."

"I really can't wait." I whispered and he smiled.

"I promise it will be epic."

"I wouldn't be expecting anything less."

 ** _A/N: Next chapter: Sam x Josh date. Who is excited?_**


	18. Chapter 17

**_A/N: Hello, guys. I'd like to thank you again for all the support. I've been think about how important you are to this story and I came up with an idea. I decided to make this a little bit more… interactive. I will be giving you two choices in the end of the chapter and you will be able to vote for your favorite one by writing a review about it. The one with the most reviews will be written. (Take note that you will be able to "vote" for a short amount of time, as I will have to write it as well and not be able to count the votes for a long time.) That being said, I hope you like their date. Also, don't forget to follow and favorite. Feedback is highly appreciated._**

The door bell rang and I rushed to open the door.

"You look beautiful." Said Josh.

"Thanks." I said blushing.

Josh took something out from his pocket.

"You'll have to wear this."

"A blindfold?" I asked while he handed it to me.

"I told you; it is a surprise."

"Okay…" I said and let him put it on me.

It was all so mysterious; the only thing that Josh had told me was to dress casual.

…..

"Here we are." Said Josh after some driving.

"Can I take the blindfold off now?"

"Not yet." He said as he helped me walk without bumping on something.

"Ok, take it off." He finally said after some walking.

I was so eager to see what he had planned, that my hands were shaking while I undid the blindfold.

"Oh my god, Josh…" I said after I let the blindfold fall on the ground.

"This is so beautiful." My voice was shaking.

We were at a beach and there was a blanket on the ground with tiny candles all over the place.

"I am so glad you like it." He said and guided me to sit on the blanket.

"Did you do this all by yourself?"

He nodded while reaching for a basket.

"What is in it?" I asked curiously.

"Quite a few things…"

"Be more specific."

"Wait and you will see by yourself." He said while taking something out of the mysterious basket.

"Two plastic containers?" I asked surprised.

He gave me a smirk while removing the lids.

"Strawberries and melted chocolate…" I murmured when seeing what was inside it.

"Yup… Do you remember when you ate your first one?" He said while preparing one.

It took me a bit of thinking, but the memory came to me.

"I was in 3rd grade… It was at Hannah and Beth's birthday-"

"The first time we met." He completed my sentence.

"Yeah…" I said.

"Want one?" He asked.

"Feed me already!" I joked and he did.

"Mmmm… Delicious." I said and he smiled.

"Look at how beautiful the sea is…" I said while pointing at the water.

It was full moon and the moonlight was falling on the water creating a beautiful sight.

"Take off your shoes." He said while taking off his.

"Come." He said helping me stand.

We were both shoeless and standing on the sand. Josh took something out off the basket again.

"A cd player?" I asked, confused.

"Not just any cd player. It is the one you gave me for my 8th birthday."

"You kept it?" I asked surprised.

"Of course I did, Sam."

"Now, will you dance with me?" He asked and pressed a button on the cd player.

"Of course." I said as our song started.

We started slow dancing, just like we did when we last danced this song, at my birthday party.

"Close your eyes." Said Josh as he lifted me and did a spin.

I obeyed.

"Josh!" I shouted as my bare feet touched the cold water.

"I thought you said it was beautiful." He said joining me, so his feet are in water as well.

I was about to argue, but then I decided there was no point. It was actually kind of fun, us dancing in the water.

"Just dance." I said and we kept dancing.

When the song came to an end, Josh pulled me close to him.

He looked at me and smile.

"So beautiful…" He whispered and kissed me on my forehead.

The song changed and we sat back on our blanket.

"Want some wine?" Asked Josh after taking a bottle of wine out of the basket.

"Sure." I said and he gave me a glass.

"Am I missing any reference?" I asked while he poured me some white wine.

"Nope." He said while laughing.

"Cheers." I said after he filled his own as well.

"Cheers." He repeated.

Josh put the wine aside and laid on the blanket.

"The sky is stunning; come see the stars."

I put my wine aside as well and laid next to him.

Josh explained each stars name with such fascination, that his eyes shone.

"The are incredibly beautiful." I said when he stopped talking.

"Just like you." He murmured.

"Come closer." He blurted a few moments later.

I hesitated for a second, but then moved closer and rested my head on his chest.

"I can hear your heartbeat." I said.

He just smiled.

I found all the courage I had in me and kissed him. The kiss was soft and tender and didn't last long. However, there was so much feeling in it, that made it consuming. After I pulled back, Josh kissed me back. This time, there was more passion in it. While I was kissing him, he helped me roll on him.

"I love you." I said while on top of him.

He opened his mouth, as if he would talked, but then, he suddenly turned us so his was on top.

He gave me a quick kiss on the lips.

"Me too." He finally said.

He leaned forward, to kiss me again, but then he came to a halt.

"You must be kidding me." He said angrily.

I was about to ask what's wrong, when the rain drops started falling on me.

"We should go" He said while getting off me.

I took his hand shopping him from getting up.

"Ok, we will. But not before you finish what you wanted to do. Don't let it interrupt you." I said.

He smiled and pulled me into a sitting position. He then pulled me closer to him and kissed me.

…

"Quickly, come in." He said while unlocking the door to his house.

I rushed in glad to be protected from the heavy rain.

"God, it is raining a lot." Said Josh while closing the door behind him.

"Yeah…" I said looking at our clothes that were dripping water.

"About that…" Said Josh who understood what I was thinking.

"How about you take a shirt of mine while I make us pop-corn."

"Pop-corn?"

"I must make up for the awful rain the destroyed our date. I will even let you choose the movie."

"Josh, our date was perfect. There is nothing you need to make up for."

I closed my eyes for a second, reconsidering what I was about to do.

"And… There is no need to change my clothes."

Josh looked at me confused.

"We can just take them off." I whispered and closed the space between us.

Our lips met and we passionately kissed. I run my hands in his hair, as our lips still touched.

"Sam…" He said pulling away.

"Yeah?" I said resting my hands on his chest.

"Are you sure we aren't moving too fast?"

"Nope, we are going just perfectly." I whispered in his ear and then kissed him again.

"One hundred percent sure?" He asked when I pulled away to catch my breath.

"Yes, Josh." I said in a frustrated tone.

I was ready to kiss him again, when a thought crossed my mind.

"Except of course, if _you_ aren't…" I said backing off.

"What? Sam, no… You are being ridiculous."

"Then what's the problem?" I asked, still keeping a distance.

"I just don't want you to regret it, that's all."

"No regrets, Josh. I love you."

He just nodded and then all of a sudden lifted me and carried me to his bedroom. He let me down on the bed and I sat on the edge. He started kissing me and pushing me into a lying position. While kissing him, I started crawling backwards the centre of the bed. After we reached the middle of the bed, he pulled me into a sitting position. A gave him a quick kiss and then removed his shirt. After some more kissing, he removed mine as well, but was a bit hesitant. We continued kissing and his hands started running up and down my almost bare back. He started playing with the bra strap and took his time before undoing it. He was about to take my bra off when all of a sudden, the door bell rang.

"What the hell?!" He said stopping whatever he was doing.

The door bell rang again.

"Josh!" Said a voice while knocking on the door.

"Who the hell is it?" Josh asked in a low voice.

"Josh! It's Ashley." Said the voice.

"God…" Groaned Josh while getting off me.

"Are you going to open?" I asked while strapping my bra.

"I have to. Otherwise she will break the door." He said while putting his shirt on.

"Coming!" He shouted while exiting the bedroom.

I heard the door opening.

"Ashley, it's pretty late. What are you doing here?" I heard Josh ask.

"I passed by Sam's house earlier, but she wasn't there. I also called her a thousand times, but no answer."

Called me? My phone… My phone! God, I had forgotten my phone at my house.

"Do you want to tell her something important?" Josh asked.

"Yes. Do you know where she is?"

I quickly put on my shirt and headed towards the living room.

"What's wrong, Ash?" I asked.

"Sam." She was obviously surprised to see me.

"Can we have a moment?" She asked Josh.

He looked at me, waiting for an answer.

"It's fine. It won't take a lot." I said.

"I'll be at the bedroom." He said while exiting the room.

"So…" I said waiting for Ashley to speak.

"Mike told me about your little talk."

"Good. 6 days, Ashley. 6 days…"

"No, you can not tell him."

"I won't if _you_ do."

"You don't understand, Sam! He can not learn."

"He deserves to, Ash."

"Sam, it was just a stupid mistake. Humans make those. Your boyfriend did. He almost KILLED us." Her voice was becoming more and more frantic.

"Yeah, he did… But he asked for forgiveness and we chose to give it to him. You have to ask for it as well, Ashley."

"He will never forgive me. He- he will never do." Her voice was shaking and tears started rolling down her face.

"Are you ok?" I asked, leaning closer to her.

"Him learning will destroy us. _You_ will destroy us." She was now angry.

"You little _bitch!_ You want to destroy us because you will never have what we do! You are just a jealous skunk."

I was deeply shocked.

"Ashley… I-" I started, but she cut me off.

"You can't destroy us. You CAN'T!" She screamed and then all of a sudden slapped me.

"Sam?!" Shouted Josh rushing in te room.

His eyes widened when he saw us. He ran to me and got in front of me protectively.

"Ashley get out before I call the cops."

Ashley, who was almost as shocked as I was, silently nodded and exited the house without saying anything.

"Are you ok? Did she hurt you?" Josh started asking me, after he helped me sit on a couch.

"I am fine…"

"Sam, I heard screams and then something that sounded like a slap; did she slap you Sam?"

"I am fine, Josh!" I shouted.

Tears started rolling down my eyes.

"Sh… It's fine. You are safe. I am here."

"Is it true? Will _I_ destroy them?"

"No, of course not. Ashley destroyed them by sleeping with Mike. It's not your fault."

"I'm doing the right thing, right?"

"Yes you are, Sam."

We stayed silent for a while. I just looked at him. He was here for me, he cared for me, he loved me. And I loved him. All of a sudden, it felt like it was just me and him. I leaned close to him and kissed him, catching him off guard.

"I love you." I whispered

"I love you." Repeated Josh and we continued from where we had left.

 ** _A/N: "Were should their next date take place at?"_**

 ** _Choice A: A band concert (please suggest a band as well)_**

 ** _Choice B: A fancy restaurant_**

 ** _Choice C: An amusement park._**

 ** _All votes are highly appreciated._**

 ** _Love ya all._**


	19. Chapter 18

**_A/N: Hello, guys. It's been a while since the last update. Sorry, but it was a very busy week in school. Anyways, the choice that won was C, however I couldn't include it in this episode. I promise that next will be about their epic second date. As always, stay tuned, follow and favorite. Also, feedback is highly appreciated. Your reviews really motivate me on continuing the story._**

"Please, Sam… I am so sorry. I don't know what had gotten into me."

"Please, just pick up the phone, Sam."

"I can't express how sorry I am."

These were just some of the texts and voice mails Ashley sent. I thew my phone on my bed.

"This is such a mess." I thought out loud.

I decided that having a shower would help me calm down.

I was right, as the hot water really did wonders, almost making me forget everything. However, there is no universe where I can be happy, or at least fine for one whole minute. Well, I was more than happy last night but that's another issue I have to deal with. The phone rang once more and Ashley's name and photo flashed on the screen.

I mentally debated whether I should pick it or not. Her behavior was really unexplainable and I really wanted to see how she could explain it. Also, she really seemed sorry about it. And last but not least, I could not ignore her forever.

"Yes?" I finally answered it.

"Oh my god, Sam!" Said Ashley who was clearly shocked that I picked the phone up.

"I can't believe it you picked up the phone… I sent you like a million messages. I thought that you were ignoring me, or worse avoiding me. Well, you have every right to be. God, Sam… I am so sorry, I-" She started mumbling but I cut her off.

"Ashley, I only answered the phone because I was worried for you. What you did last night, it was not normal."

"I know. I know… I'm so sorry… It's just a side effect the meds I am taking have. I recently changed them so…"

"Wait- You are still taking meds?"

"Yeah… For PTSD."

"You still need them?"

"Yes. I can't sleep, not even close my eyes, without traumatic memories flashing back."

"Ash, why haven't you talked to any of us about this?"

"Well, we talked about this a lot at the beginning, however you guys got past that. I didn't want to destroy the progress you made."

"Ashley… I am so sorry that no one was there for you. I promise that after everything ends, I will be there for you. I'll be the one who you can talk to."

"Mike let me talk." She whispered.

Her words startled me.

"What do you mean?"

"When we went to eat dinner, after the movie, he said that sometimes he had those nightmares about the whole _thing…_ Then, I-I opened up. He let me talk. He reassured me that I would be fine. And, before he kissed me in the car, he told me that he was there for me, that he understood me. You can' believe how that felt, Sam."

"Ashely…"

"I know he manipulated me. He only felt lust, not love. Well, there was no love to feel."

"Was there lust? Or passion?"

"He let me open up. There were so many feelings in me at that moment… And yeah, there was passion and lust. But it doesn't mean anything."

"I promise, we will talk. I promise…"

"But you will still tell Chris and Jess, won't you?"

"I'm sorry Ash, but that's what's got to happen. You would want to know if you were him."

I was about to hung up, when she talked again.

"I decided to tell them my self."

"You did?!" I asked really surprised.

"Yes. It is eating me alive, Sam. I need to face it."

"I am so proud of you."

"I would just ask you to be there with me."

"Of course I will."

"Thanks."

"Don't mention it."

"Sam…?" She said with a hesitant voice.

"Yes?"

"Never mind."

"Are you sure? You can tell me everything." I reassured her.

She hesitated a bit, debating whether to tell me or not.

"I'm sure."

"Okay…"

There was an awkward silence gap for a while.

"Well, I guess… See ya?" Said Ashley breaking the silence.

"Definitely." I said and hung the phone up.

…

I was searching through my movie collection, trying to decide what was best for our first movie night as an "official" couple. I hadn't picked more than five dvd cases when the phone rang.

"Yes?"

"Hey, it's me."

"I know…"

"I wanted to know if you'd be bring Josh…"

"Bringing him where?"

"Didn't Ashley call you? She invited all of us to dinner at her place."

"Oh, yeah… I totally forgot." I quickly lied.

"So…"

"I don't know Jess, probably yeah… Why, shouldn't I?"

"Well, depends. How ' _official'_ are you?"

"What do you mean?"

"God, Sam." She said with frustration.

"Did you _do it_?" She asked.

"Jess!" I said blushing.

"Oh my god! You so did!" She said squeaking in excitement.

"Shut up."

"I'm coming over and you will tell me all about it."

"You can't. Josh is coming over. We are having a movie night."

"Yeah sure…"

"Stop it."

I heard her giggle through the phone.

"Goodbye." I said as coldly as possible.

"Bye." She said and made a kiss noise.

…..

"… and she will tell it in this dinner, tomorrow." I said, finishing the story.

"And you want to go?"

"Yeah. I want to be there to support her."

"Wait, you feel bad for her?"

"Kind of… She really regretted it, Josh…"

"Still, it is pretty big."

"We all make stupid mistakes that some times hurt people we love."

"Sam, there are a million ways, that are out of my control, for me to hurt you. And for your own stupid reasons you keep denying that. But, I swear to god that I would never cheat on you."

"Me too…"

We remained silent for a period of time.

"Look at us…" I whispered.

"What do you mean?"

"We are a couple. And we are snuggling and watching a movie on a rainy night."

"Yeah… But, I don't think it is special enough. I mean, we did this before we were a couple."

"What do you suggest?"

A mischievous smile appeared on his face.

"Well, I may have an idea or two…"

He pulled me into a kiss, which turned into a making out session.

"Wait." I said stopping him.

His face turned serious.

"What's wrong?"

"What about the movie?" I said trying to play innocent.

"You are right; it's distracting."

I gave him a puzzled look. Then, suddenly, he took me into his arms and carried me to my bedroom.

"Much better." He said while placing me on the bed.

 ** _A/N: I decided that I could not have choices after every chapter, because it really hard to think of that many concepts. However, every suggestion is welcome and highly appreciated, so feel free to write what yo want to happen. (It won't be done for sure, but will be taken into consideration and in no way ignored.)_**

 ** _-Love ya._**


	20. Chapter 19

**_A/N: Hi guys… It's been a while. And I don't want you to think that I am not taking this seriously. I just couldn't think of what to write. I kept writing and erasing, as I didn't like any outcome. So, I had some thinking on the story and I believe I know have a better idea on how I want to develop this story. I worked a lot on this chapter and really hope you like it. Also, I'd like to wish merry christmas to everyone of you and hope you understand the reason why I didn't post for such a long time. I can reassure you I have a few ideas written down and more free time, as we have holiday vacation. This means, I will start uploading one per week like I did before. One last thing; I really wanted to do something special for christmas, but since I have no time, I was thinking of doing a new year's eve one. I'd love to know your thoughts on that idea. Anyways, I am letting you enjoy the story._**

"Good morning sunshine."

"Good morning…"

"How long have you've been waiting for me to wake up?" I asked, while slowly changing into a sitting position.

"Around half an hour; I like watching you sleep." He answered while changing his position as well.

"You say my name a lot." He added and placed a small kiss on my forehead.

"I do?"

He nodded and got up.

"What are you doing?"

He gave me a puzzled look. I smiled and then crawled to the edge of the bed, so I could reach him.

"Come here." I said while pulling him from his arm.

He crawled on the bed an on top of me. Then he gave me a lingering kiss.

"I love you." I whispered.

"I love you too."

….

It took us a while to get out of bed and as a result it was no longer time for breakfast. I was heading for the door when Josh stopped me.

"You know how much I want you to stay for dinner, but since we are going on a date in the evening, I know I can't keep you. I have to share you with Jessica."

"Mmmm…" I said with a wide smile.

"And I hate it." He whispered in my ear and gave me a quick kiss on my lips.

"See you later." I said exiting the door.

….

When I arrived at the little bistro in the centre of the city, Jess was there waiting for me.

"Sorry I'm late." I quickly apologized while sitting on the table.

"It's fine; as long you tell me that Josh was the one keeping you busy."

My grin was enough for her.

"Tell me everything."

I opened my mouth, but the waiter that came to take our order interrupted me.

After the waiter left with our order, which was two Caesar salads and a bottle of white wine, I started talking.

"I am so happy for you." Said Jess after I finished talking.

I just flashed her a wide smile.

"You remind me of Mike and myself."

Her words made my face darken.

"Wh-what do you mean?"

"That your relationship is as perfect as ours."

I looked away trying to hide that I was shaking.

"What wrong?" She asked.

"Nothing."

"You are shaking."

"Yeah…"

"So… What's wrong?"

"It's just… I am afraid that our happiness won't last for that long."

This was not a complete lie. My shaking wasn't due to that, but that didn't mean that I didn't fear it.

"Don't be pessimistic."

I simply shrugged.

…..

"I haven't been to one of them since I was a kid." I said while Josh helped me out of the car.

"Really?"

"Yeah… Is it that weird?"

"No. Not at all."

"Am I sensing irony."

"Pfff… How did that come into your mind?"

"Stop making fun of me."

"Two tickets please." Said Josh turning to the cashier.

"I promise to you that I will show you how fun it is as an adult." He said after we got past the entrance.

I looked around me at the vast open space filled with attractions and children laughing.

"Where do you want to go first?" Josh asked me.

"I don't know… Any suggestions?"

"Let's visit my favorite." He said grabbing my hand.

"Which is?" I asked while we zig zagged through the crowd.

"The roller coaster." He said and we came to a halt.

In front of us was a huge construction. I saw a wagon filled with people descending really fast while screaming.

"Josh… I don't know…"

"What's wrong?"

"Josh, these people are screaming."

"Because they are having fun, Sam." He said while laughing.

"I'm not sure."

"You will be perfectly safe; with me." He said taking my hand in his.

"Fine. Let's go."

This was one of the stupidest choice I've made in life. I was screaming all ride long, and not because I was having fun. And when the torturous ride finally came to an end, I was about to puke.

"Are you sure you are fine?" Josh asked as we strolled in the park.

"Yes; as long as we don't go in it again."

"Okay. There is a lot of cool stuff to do here."

"This time I choose."

"Whatever you want, your majesty."

"Hmmm…" I said while scanning our environment.

"I want you to win me a teddy bear." I finally said, pointing at a stand.

"Piece of a cake." Said Josh while approaching the stand.

The rules were simple. You had three attempts to destroy a pile of cans by throwing a ball on them.

Josh concentrated really hard and started throwing the balls.

"Woohoo! First attempt, baby!" He started cheering.

The man in charge of the stand gave him a teddy, and Josh gave it to me.

"What's next on your list?" He asked victoriously.

"I'm kinda hungry…"

"Follow me." He said and grabbed my hand.

Not long after, we were on the ferris wheel eating cotton candy.

"The view is magnificent." I said.

"I knew you'd like it."

He then leaned forward to kiss me, but the wagon started shaking.

"Woah." I said while he returned to his seat.

"I believe it would be wise not to move." I said.

"Yeah…" Murmured Josh, sounding quite disappointed.

When the ride ended, Josh suggested us visiting the love tour. However, to his disappointment, we found out that it was under maintenance.

"That sucks…" Said Josh looking down.

"It's fine. I bet there are many other things to do."

We visited some other attractions, which quite fun and were now heading towards the in-park pizzeria.

It took us quite a while to get seated, as it was the only place to eat in the park and as a result it was packed. Fortunately, we ordered quickly.

"So… Are you enjoying our date?" Asked Josh while we waiting for our food.

"It's been certainly something unique." I said while playing with the table cloth.

"You hate it, don't you?" He murmured.

"What?! No." I said startled.

"Why would you say that?" I asked shortly after.

"You don't seem like you are having fun, that's all."

"I am; I swear. I just have a lot in my mind."

Even though when I was laughing and having fun, I could not take the mess I was into from my head.

He was about to say something, but the waiter came and brought our pizza.

The car ride was very silent. After we finished eating, Josh said that we should leave. Despite the fact I protested and said I wanted to try out more rides, he just wanted us to go.

"I'm sorry." He whispered while driving.

"What?" I asked confused.

"I am sorry for the disastrous date."

"Josh, it wasn't disa-" I started but he cut me off.

"You hated the roller coaster and your mind was else where."

"Ok, I might not have particularly liked the roller coaster, but I enjoyed the other rides. And about my mind being somewhere else, it's _me_ who should be sorry."

"You don't get it. The whole point was to take your mind off the awful situation you are in. And I miserably failed."

"You did not."

"Sam, stop…"

"But-"

"Please. The only thing I want is one more chance to fix up this mess of a date."

I was about to protest again, but decided that there was no point.

"What do you mean?" I asked instead.

"You'll see." He said pulling off in front of his house.

He helped me out off the car and led me into the house.

"I assume you don't have a swimsuit, do you?" He asked while disappearing into the kitchen.

"No… Why should I?" I asked confused.

"Skinny dipping it is!" He said with excitement.

"Hold your horses cowboy. I still have my underwear."

"Damn it!" He said and I rolled my eyes.

"What are you planning?" I asked intrigued.

"You'll see in a while. The only thing you have to do is remove your clothes."

"Well, that does sound promising." I joked.

….

After spending quite an amount of time waiting for Josh in my underwear, he finally showed up. He was only wearing his boxers.

"Finally!" I said.

"Come." He said taking my hand.

He led me to his back yard. There, I noticed that the hot-tub was working.

I gave Josh a _no-you-didn't_ look, and he just smirked.

We walked towards the hot-tub, which was filled with rose petals.

"Let's go in, shall we?" He asked.

I stepped in and the hot water touched my skin giving me an amazing feeling which only got better after my whole body was under the water.

"Mmmm…" I said closing my eyes.

I heard Josh getting in and felt him next to me.

"Want some wine?" He asked holding a glass of red wine.

"Gladly." I said and took the glass.

I took a sip and looked at the starry sky.

"It's so beautiful isn't it?" Josh asked, putting his arm around my neck.

"It's perfect." I said.

Then, I turned and looked at him. I gave him a deep kiss.

"A perfect end, for a perfect date." I whispered and he rolled his eyes.

 ** _A/N: I know that this may sound irrelevant, but I recently discovered they were planning to make a game called "Until Dawn-Blood Rush". I'd love to know your thoughts on this, as I, to be honest, don't think is a great idea and would prefer them sticking to the original game._**

 ** _-Love ya._**


	21. Chapter 20 (New Year's Eve Special)

**_A/N: Happy 2016 guys! I wish you the best. I'd like to thank you for all you support throughout this year, which I admit was crazy. I never could imagine one of my stories would go so well, or that it could get so long. More that 100 pages, guys! For me, that's crazy. Enough talking… This is the New Year's Eve special I promised. Go ahead and enjoy. Don't forget to follow and favorite. Also, feedback helps a lot, so spending some of your time to write a review is highly appreciated._**

"Okay, everybody… Sit around this coffee table." Said Jess and everybody obeyed.

"I am _so_ excited!" Said Ashley and I smiled, as seeing her happy was rare nowadays.

"Okay, this might be late for gift exchange, but Em and Matt could only make it for New Year's Eve." Said Jess and everybody turned to look at them.

They were sitting on the couch, snuggling.

"Well, me and Matt had gone to visit my relatives at Alaska." Said Emily.

"They were amazing; just like you babe." Said Matt and we all rolled our eyes.

"Enough distractions! Present time."

"I'll go first!" Said Mike and jumped up.

"Always the bravest one." Said Josh while sipping his eggnog.

Mike stood in a place where we all could see him.

"So… I was assigned to take a gift for Ashley." He said with a huge grin on his face.

Ashley got up and approached him uncomfortably.

"Here you go." He said and handed her the packet.

"Thanks." She said and hugged him, unwillingly.

They returned to their seats.

"Go ahed and open it up." He said.

Ashley took it out of the bag slowly unwrapped it.

"It's a perfume. I hope you like it."

Ashley hold the box in her hands. The word 'temptation' was written on it with calligraphy.

I saw her freeze and knew that she would start panicing so I decided to intervene.

"Hey, that's so cool! I remember you saying you needed a perfume."

"Yeah… Th-thank you." She said and put it back in the bag.

"You are welcome." He said with a big smile.

"Okay… Who's next?" Asked Jess.

Nobody volunteered.

"Fine, you cowards! I'll go." She said and got up.

….

The exchange was normal after Mike's gift. I got a bracelet from Emily and gave Jess a gift-card to her favorite shop.

"Come on, Ash. It's your turn." Said Emily.

"I'm looking forward to see what you got me, baby." Said Chris and got up with her.

Since Ashley was the last one to give her present, we all knew that she was going to give it to Chris, as he was the only one who hadn't gotten a gift.

"I got you the new iPhone, since you've telling me how cool it is and how much you wanted one, all the time."

"No way!" Said Chris, his eyes widening.

Everybody was looking at Ashley, their looks filled with disbelief and surprise.

"Guys, she was not kidding." Said Chris holding the phone in his hands, after quickly unwrapping the box.

"Ash, that's so cool." Said Matt.

"Thank you _so_ much!" Said Chris and embraced Ashley, lifting her up and doing a little spin.

"I have with no doubt the most amazing girlfriend in the world." He said and gave her a kiss.

"You are exaggerating…" Said Ashley, looking down.

"No he isn't; trust me." Said Matt, earning an angry look from Emily.

After him kissing her one more time, Chris and Ashley sat down.

"Now, before we move on…" Said Mike getting up.

"Lately I was thinking about how boring this place is. So, I decided to buy tickets for all of us to spend two weeks in Bahamas."

"Holy shit!"

"You are kidding, aren't you?"

"Not funny, Mike…"

"Guys. I am not joking." He said taking a bunch of tickets out of his pockets.

"Babe, right now, you are like santa. The hotter version of him, of course." Said Jess approaching him.

"Ho ho ho. Come get your tickets." He said trying to imitate santa.

"Don't…" Said Jess.

"Why?"

"It's lame…"

"No, it's sexy."

Jess shook her head while giggling.

"No it's not."

"Pfff… Emily what do you think?"

"I'll _have_ to agree with Jess, Mike. It's not sexy at all."

"You guys have no taste. I am sure Ashley finds it _very_ hot."

"No, I don't." Her answer came out too quick, making her behavior a bit suspicious.

Mike turned at me, but I stopped him.

"No…" I said disapprovingly.

"Gosh… Well, if you hate me _that_ much, I should keep the tickets."

"No! You are so hot." Said Emily quickly.

"The hottest." Added Jess.

"If you insist…"

"We should start planning about the trip." Said Jess putting the hotness debate aside.

"Mmm…" Agreed Emily.

"I got thirsty. Santa wants some booze." Said Mike after a while.

"There is some in the kitchen." Said Chris.

"Ash, since it's your house, will you lead me there?"

"Sure." Said Ashley trying to sound like she doesn't care.

They both got up and disappeared into the kitchen.

"Now that Mike mentioned booze… Shouldn't we start eating the snacks." I said trying to find an excuse to go to the kitchen.

"Oh, yeah… I _so_ forgot about them" Said Chris.

"I'll go get some." I said getting up and moving towards the kitchen.

"… shouldn't get a ticket. You are on the naughty list. But you are lucky I like you. I'll even let you sit on my lap; I know how much you love it." I heard Mike saying.

Furious, I stormed in the kitchen and closed the door behind me.

"Hello, Sam." Said Mike trying to play all innocent.

"Cut it off, Mike."

"I am just telling the truth."

"No, you are not. You are tormenting her."

Mike rolled his eyes.

"Temptation, seriously Mike?" I asked.

"I found it fitting for the situation."

Ashley was standing in a corner, looking miserable.

"What is it, Ash? Are you afraid that after you tell Chris that you cheated on him he will realize you are not that amazing? Well, aside from bed of course. There, you are… amazing."

"Mike." I warned him, looking at Ashley's reaction to it.

She looked like she wanted to kill her self.

"Are you afraid that after you tell him he will find someone else to have fun with in the Bahamas?" He continued.

"Stop it!" I said pushing him.

"Woah, Sam. I am just saying the truth…"

Damn… I couldn't argue with that.

"Let's just go." Said Ash wiping off her tears.

"Sure, _babe_. Let me get the booze first."

"You are such an ass." I said placing my hand around Ashley.

"This will end soon." I whispered.

"I'm more afraid of what's to come."

"I am ready to go ladies." Said Mike holding many beer bottles.

"We need snacks as well." I said.

"Your wish, my command." Said Mike making me roll my eyes.

….

We've been drinking for a while now, and most of the bottles were empty.

"I've got an idea." Said Mike

Oh no….

"Let's play spin the bottle." He said with a devilish smile on his face.

I must admit; Mike is smoking hot. His hair and eyes and lips… Oh god these lips… No wonder Ashley cheated on Chris. Oh my god! How drunk must I be to think those things?

The drunk crowd agreed to us playing the game.

"I'll go first." Said Jess and giggled.

She span the bottle and it ended on Matt.

They shared a small kiss.

"My turn." Said Josh.

The bottle ended on me and we shared a long and passionate kiss.

"That's not fair, or fun." Complained Jess.

"Yeah; you are dating her." Said Mike.

"Sorry, guys, but the rules allow it." Said Josh with a grin on his face.

"I'll show you how it's done." Said Mike and span the bottle.

I held my breath and preyed for the bottle not to stop. Unfortunately it did.

"Watch and learn, guys." Said Mike with a huge grin on his face.

He leaned forward and kissed Ashley. I expected it to be fast, but it was nothing like I expected it to be.

It was long and passionate, and I was pretty sure it was a french kiss.

When the pulled back, Ash looked startled. I saw Mike whisper something to her, but I didn't understand what.

"That was _wild!"_ Said Matt.

"That's the purpose of spin the bottle, especially when we are drunk. It's not to kiss our girlfriends." Said Mike, still grinning.

"Guys… It's 2016 in 2 minutes." Said Emily.

We all got up and made a circle. When the countdown started, Josh pulled me close to him.

"I love you." He whispered.

I was about to say I love him too, but everybody started cheering. We all hugged and kissed each other.

"What's your wish for this year?" Asked Josh when we got to a more private place.

"That we will short this mess out and live happily ever after."

"I wish this was a fairytale, I do… But this is real life, Sam." He said and placed a small kiss on my forehead.

 ** _A/N: I still haven't decided if they will be actually going to the Bahamas, or not. So… I decided to let you decided. Write a review saying 'yes' or 'no' (reason is not necessary). All votes are highly appreciated. Also, if you have any ideas about the trip itself, feel free to share it with me._**


	22. Chapter 21

**_A/N: Hi guys. Next chapter is here. Don't forget to follow and favorite. Also, reviews help a lot. One last thing, I made a tumblr blog for this story. Go check it out, if more than 50 people are following me, I will start uploading sneak peaks of every chapter (something like trailers) one or two days I upload the whole thing on this website. (_** ** _blog/witch-of-writing_** ** _) Enjoy!_**

I woke up, still a bit hungover from last night. The first thing I did was to check my phone. I had two missed calls and two texts messages. I opened the first one, which was from Jessica.

'Hey! I called you but you didn't answer. We are going shopping at 12 a.m. Em is coming but I couldn't reach Ash. Call her if you can. See ya soon.'

Jess is _so_ excited about our trip to Bahamas. She is even making us shop an entire new wardrobe only for the trip.

I then opened the second one, which was from Ashley.

'Hey, I need to talk to you. Please call me asap.'

The text made me worry, so I called Ashley immediately.

"Hello?"

"Ash, it's me."

"Oh, um… Hi."

"Jess called you. Why didn't you answer?"

Silence.

"She wants all of us to go shopping for the trip. She is looking forward to this trip so much, that I am feeling really bad that it's probably not going to happen."

"About that…"

"What's wrong?"

"Um… I thought… I… Um…"

"Ashley…?"

I heard her take a deep breath.

"I thought that it would be better to tell them after the trip."

She spoke so quickly that I wasn't sure I heard what she said correctly.

"What?"

"I just… I don't want to ruin everybody's vacation."

"You said you would tell them after Christmas. You can't keep postponing it, Ash."

"I know. I swear I will tell them after our trip."

"Fine."

"Thanks _so_ much, Sam."

"That's the problem, Ashley. I don't think I am doing you a favor."

….

We had just finished shopping and we were heading to eat at our favorite restaurant at the mall.

"I don't think I've ever shopped that many clothes at once in my entire life!" Said Ashley while we got seated.

"You are not the only one. I believe we left that shop out of stock." I said while the waitress handed us the menus.

"That was literally _nothing_ compared to how many things we used to buy back in the day, right Em?"

"You girls had to see with how many bags we returned home. It took us around two hours to put all of them in their places."

"We had so much fun together… Why did we stop doing that?"

"Because , honey you _stole_ Mike from me."

"Um… I…" Said Jess while laughing awkwardly.

"Which now is completely fine. We get so mad after he breaks up with us, for another girl. We blame it all on that little bitch, even though we know it's Mike's fault. It's just who he is. A womanizer."

" _We_?" Asked Jessica.

"Yeah. The girl _I_ stole Mike from, and the girl _she_ stole Mike from and-"

The waitress interrupted her by bringing us our food.

"That is not who Mike is. He may have like that, but now he is loyal and caring. He even bought us those tickets for the Bahamas. How do you explain _that_?"

"It's simple. He either cheated on you with someone and tries to cover that up by giving you expensive gifts. Or, he wants to do something with one of us and is planning to use those two weeks to do that. Or maybe both."

"No… You guys would never do that to me, right?" Jessica said looking at me and Ashley.

"Look, hun. I was saying the same thing before I learned that you, my best friend, had been sleeping with him. And I am not mad at you, not any more. There's something about Mike that makes him so dazzling and charismatic."

We were all left speechless after that. Emily checked her phone and then got up.

"Sorry, but I have to go. I must study or I'll fail. One last thing, Jess. If it's true, and I hope that it is not, but if it is, and Mike leaves you for someone of your friends, don't do the same mistake I did. Don't let Mike destroy your friendship, ok?"

"Well, you sure sound like you might be that friend?"

"That is sleeping with Mike? No… You can't believe how over him I am."

Jess opened her mouth to speak, but then closed it again.

"See you all later, ladies." Said Emily and left.

"Guys…" Said Jess.

"Don't think about it, Jess." I said trying to change the subject.

"I just can't imagine one of you stealing Mike from me… I can't imagine you touching him, kissing him-"

My phone rang, saving us from this awkward situation.

"Hey." I said answering it.

"Where are you know?"

"Dining with Ash and Jess."

"Oh… I was wondering if you wanted to come by, but if you are with your friends, it's fine…"

"Are you sure it cannot wait?"

"What?" He said deeply confused.

"Okay… I am coming as soon as possible. Love you."

I hang up before he could ruin my plan.

"Was it Josh?" Jessica asked.

"Yeah. He planed something like a date for us and wants me to go to his house right now."

"Now that you said date, I just remembered I promised Chris we would watch a movie today."

"You want a ride?" I asked.

"That would be awesome."

"Wait, so… You are leaving me for your boyfriends?" Asked Jess.

"Sorry, Jess…" Said Ash as we got our shopping bags

"You are so lame… I'll continue shopping. _Alone._ " She said as she saw as get up.

"Have fun." I said while we walked out of the bistro.

"God… What was _that_?!" Asked Ashley as we headed towards my car.

"I seriously have no freaking idea. Did-did you tell her?"

"No!"

"The phone call was a plan, right?" She asked as we got in the car.

"Mostly. Josh called on the right moment and I took advantage of it."

"So, are you really going?"

"Yeah. Why are you asking?"

"No reason."

….

"Woah. That was… crazy." Said Josh after I filled him in with details of my day.

"I know, right? Is Emily psychic or something?"

"I doubt it. She just knows Mike very well."

"What's wrong with you?" I asked after noticing he was kind of grumpy.

"Are you afraid that he will try to seduce me next?" I joked.

"No, of course not."

"You are very confident."

"Shouldn't I be?"

"Of course you should." I said and gave him a small kiss on his lips.

"I just… I don't think that waiting for the vacation's end to tell them, is a good idea."

"I know… But there is some logic behind it. If we tell them now, we ruin the vacation."

"Do you think that's the reason Mike planned this? To buy some time?"

"To be honest, I never thought about this. But it is pretty smart, Josh."

"Thank you." He said with a wide smile.

"Let's not talk about it anymore, ok?"

"Do you have any suggestions on what we should do instead?" He said while getting closer.

"Yes." I said my eyes shining mischievously.

"Well, enlighten me." He said with a smirk.

"Let's go try the clothes I bought today."

The smile faded from his face as he sighed.

"Come on!" I said grabbing his hand and pulling him up.

 _…_ _.._

"I can't believe that you bought us matching clothes."

"It was Jess' idea. She said that they are so _in_ right now."

"And they are not that bad…" I added while looking at us in the mirror.

I wore a casual green mini dress that had little black palm trees on it. Josh was wearing swimming shorts and a shirt that was just like my dress.

"Okay… We might look cute.." He admitted after some while.

"Let's take some pictures by the pool." He suggested.

"Ok." I agreed and followed him outside.

After some pictures, Josh removed his shirt.

"Come on, show your new bikini." He said.

I sighed as I took the dress off revealing my brand new tiny bikini.

"Hot…"

I gave him a look.

"In fact…" He said getting closer to me.

"…I think it's _so_ hot…" He continued raising me and putting me on him.

"…that I might have to cool it down a little bit."

"Wait-what?!" I said, and before I could react any more he threw me in the pool.

He started laughing and then jumped in.

"You are…" I started in an angry voice.

"The best boyfriend in the world?"

"Not even close."

"What about now." He said and swam behind me.

He started placing small kisses all over my back.

"Getting closer."

"And now?"

He spun me so I was facing him and then kissed me deeply. He started running his hands on my back and I run mine in his hair. His lips moved away from mine, and started descending my neck, leaving a trail of kisses.

"Josh…" I whispered.

"Mmmm?"

"We should go inside."

He pulled me closer and I wrapped my legs around his body.

"Definitely." He whispered into my ear.

 ** _A/N: Since quite a few of you wanted them to actually go to Bahamas, they will be going (probably) in the next chapter. But the tropical paradise will soon turn into hell for some of them. Are you excited? If yes, stay tuned for more chapters._**

 ** _-Love ya!_**


	23. Chapter 22

**_A/N: Yeah… I know it's been a very looooong time since the last update, but it was very hard for me to write. Just, enjoy… 3_**

"Wake up, babe." Josh whispered to me.

"Five more minutes…"

"We are going to miss our plane, sweetheart."

"What time is it?" I asked, getting up, half-hearted.

"Seven o'clock."

"Too damn early…"

"I'll go make you coffee. I trust you with dressing yourself."

….

The flight was very long, which led to us arriving at Bahamas around the evening. Mike must have spent a fortune on this. The hotel was amazing; at least it looked so. Josh and I, like every couple stayed in our private huge bungalow which was literally bigger than my apartment.

Since we were all a bit worn out from the trip, we agreed to go rest for an hour and then meet for dinner.

"Damn, this thing is big." Said Josh as we arrived at our bungalow.

"I know right? Mike must have spent a lot of money."

"That's an understatement."

"I'll go take a shower." I announced and headed towards the bathroom.

I got undressed and into the shower. I closed my eyes as the hot water fell on my skin. I was so lost in my own world, that I didn't notice Josh sneaking inside. I felt him place a small kiss on my wet back.

"Mmm…" I murmured.

"I couldn't resist." He said under his breath.

I just smiled and wrapped my hands around him.

"I love you, Sam." He said and put his hands on my waist pulling me towards him.

Our lips collided as the warm water run on our bodies. The kiss quickly turned into a passionate make out and without even realizing it, Josh had me pinned on the wall. We kept kissing for some time before Josh pulled away.

"We have to get ready."

"That is such a lame excuse."

"I know." He said and gave me a small kiss on the nose before leaving the shower.

….

"Are you ready yet?" Josh asked impatiently.

"Just one more second." I said and after applying my lipstick on, exited the bathroom.

"You look stunning."

I was wearing a blue sun dress that I had bought with the girls.

"It's really nothing special…" I said walking to him.

"That's the thing, Sam. You can make the most ordinary thing in the world look special."

This made me blush, causing Josh to giggle.

"You are so cute when you blush."

He placed a small kiss on my forehead and took my hand in his.

"Let's go, shall we?"

…..

"Mike, bro, this… it's amazing." Said Chris after taking a bite out of the grilled lobster.

"How much money did you pay for god sake?"

"Does it really matter, Em? I just wanted to make my friends and my incredible girlfriend happy."

"Aw… That's so sweet babe…"

"I'm officially full. Let's go have some fun at the beach bar. And I won't take no as an answer."

"You will have to make an exception. The airplane ride really messed me up."

"Do you want me to stay with you, honey?"

"Nah… I'll just chill and watch some Tv. I will be fine. Go have fun."

….

"…. and he then- Sam?!"

"Yeah?"

"You have to stop staring at Mike."

"I know… I just really hate the idea of Mike and Ashley together in a beach club. At night. With tons of alcohol."

"Me too, but it's not your problem. Have some fun."

"I'm trying to; I just can't stop worrying…"

"A few more drinks can fix that."

"Or you could simply take me out of here."

"You wanna go to our room?" Josh asked confused.

"Yeah… We can have plenty of fun there."

"Have something _particular_ in mind?"

"Well… We might have left _something_ unfinished…"

"Then, let's go finish it."

….

"That was so wonderful…" I whispered.

Josh, who was lying next to me, smiled.

"Get dressed. I wanna show you something."

He got up and quickly wore a pair of jeans and a plain T-shirt. By the time I had changed into my night gown, he had disappeared.

"Josh?"

"Out here."

I exited the house and walked to the porch.

"Where did you get that guitar from?"

"Does it really matter? Sit down."

The porch was dimly illuminated, with most of the light coming from the moon and the waves made a soothing sound when they crushed on the sand.

We both sat down and Josh took his guitar in his hands.

"For you." He whispered and started playing.

" _If you were the ocean,_

 _and I was the sun,_

 _if the day made me heavy,_

 _and gravity won,_

 _if i was the red,_

 _and you were the blue,_

 _i would just fade in to you._

 _If you were a window,_

 _and I was rain,_

 _I'd pour self out,_

 _and wash off the pain,_

 _I'd fall like a tear,_

 _So your light could shine through,_

 _then I'd just fade into you._

 _In your heart,_

 _in your head,_

 _in arms,_

 _in your bed,_

 _under your skin,_

 _till there's no way to know,_

 _where you end,_

 _and where I begin…_

 _I wanna melt in,_

 _I wanna soak through,_

 _I only wanna move when you move,_

 _I wanna breath out,_

 _When you breath in,_

 _Then I wanna fade into you. "_

He stopped playing and laid his guitar on the floor.

"That was beautiful. I didn't know you could play and sing that well."

He looked at me and a small smile appeared in his lips. He opened his mouth to speak, but closed it again.

"What is it?" I asked.

"I… I don't think I will ever get used to that feeling."

"What feeling?"

"Sam, when I am with you, I feel like everything is right. Like, every tiny piece of the puzzle, that my life is, is connected. I don't need anything or anyone else. I feel complete."

I wanted to say something, but words couldn't come out of my mouth. Instead, I leaped forward and kissed him.

I opened my mouth to talk, but hesitated.

"What?" He whispered.

"I want to say 'I love you', but I am afraid it's not enough to describe what I feel for you."

"How about another kiss, then?"

"As many as you want." I said and linked our lips once more.

….

Ashley's POV:

….

"Ash, I feel a little bit tired… Do you mind if I return to our room?" Chris asked me.

"No, of course not. Let's go." I quickly answered.

"Babe, you don't have to come with me. Stay here, have fun."

"It's fine. I wanna come with you."

"Come on, _Ash_. Stay a little bit longer." Said Mike and Matt and Em agreed.

"I'll take care of her." He said turning to Chris.

"Thanks, bro. Have fun." He said and disappeared into the crowd.

….

After some time, Em and Matt left, leaving me alone with Mike. He hadn't done anything stupid with them around, but I wasn't willing to take the chance.

"I think I will return to my room, now." I announced.

"Come on, Ash… I've been waiting to stay alone with you all night." He said getting closer.

"And that's why I am leaving." I said.

I tried to back away, but I bumped into the wall behind me.

"Just let me prove one thing to you, Ashley. And then you are free to go; _if you still want to, of course."_

He pushed me to the wall using his body, causing me to gasp. He then kissed me hard, bitting my lower lip.

I wanted to stop him, but his kisses where intoxicating.

"Do you still want to leave?" He whispered in my ear.

"I…"

I tried to say no, but his lips hovering above mine didn't let me.

"I know you love Chris, but you I also know that love how I make you feel."

I hated it! I hated how much true that was. I hated that he could control me like that. So, I gathered all my will power and pushed him.

"Go away!" I shouted.

To my surprise, he obeyed.

…

It was very late in the night, around 3 am or so. Chris was sleeping peacefully in our bed, but I couldn't get any sleep. Instead, I sat at the porch, devouring a bottle of wine while tears run down my face.

" _Ashley…_ " His voice was soft and inviting.

I wanted to tell him to leave, I wanted to shout at him, I wanted to hit him. However, all this anger died into a kiss. And like that, I just couldn't get enough of him, I wanted more and more.

I was so lost in our intense make out, that I didn't notice we were making too much noise. I only came back to reality when the lights in the house got on.

"Who's out there?"

"Shit." Mike whispered.

The porch door opened.

"Ash? M-mike?!"

…..

 ** _A/N: So, how was the whole Ashley point of view thing? I wasn't sure about doing it, but why the hell not? Anyway, I hope you liked the whole episode and I would love some feedback. The song was 'Fade into you' if anyone was wondering._**

 ** _P.S_**

 ** _I will try to have a new episode ready per two weeks maximum, but I can't promise anything, as I unfortunately can't control life. Stay tuned guys 3_**


	24. Chapter 23

**_A/N: So… It has been terribly long since last update. Sorry for that. Anyway, here is the new chapter you have all been waiting for. Enjoy and don't forget to follow and favorite._**

It was 4 am and I was heading towards Ashley's bungalow. The reason was a text message she had sent me.

"S.O.S. Come right now!"

So, me, being the good friend I am, was outside her door. I could hear shouting, but couldn't make up what they said.

I rang the doorbell.

"It's open." The voice was trembly.

"What's going on?" I asked while I walked in.

The first thing I saw was Chris, who looked very upset. Then, my eyes shifted to Ashley who was crying. At last, I saw Mike sitting on a chair looking like shit.

"Oh." Was the only sound I could make.

"Wait- You knew?!" Shouted an angry Chris.

"Chris, I-"

"And you didn't tell me anything?" His voice was full of disappointment.

"It's not her fault, Chris. We asked her not to." Said Mike.

"Nobody talked to you." Said Chris through gritted teeth.

"Hey…" I said in a smooth tone, placing my hand on his shoulder.

"… let's try to be civilized, ok?"

He started laughing.

" _Civilized_? _CIVILIZED!?_ Ask them what happened."

I couldn't bring my self to speak. Instead I looked at Mike and Ashley. Ashley sobbed and Mike sighed.

"We were making out in the porch." Said Mike almost under his breath.

"So, Sam, please tell me how can I act civilized with the person who was screwing my girlfriend."

"We were _just_ kissing…" Whispered Ashley.

"But you have had sex before, haven't you?"

None of them talked.

"You did…" He said, more to himself.

"Only once, Chris, and it was a mistake." Said Ashley.

" _A mistake_ , huh? Then why did I find you making out?"

After a long pause Chris spoke.

"Does Jess know?"

"No." Said Mike firmly.

"Were you going to tell us?"

"Yes."

"When?"

"When we returned home; we didn't want to ruin the vacation."

"Well… You kind of did."

"Chris-" Started Ashley but he cut her off.

"You tell Jess; first thing in the morning."

"I promise." Said Mike.

"Sam, can I sleep at your couch for tonight, please?"

This sentence sucked life out of Ashley.

"Chris, please don't…" She begged, but he ignored her.

"Sam?" He turend to me.

"You don't have to, Chris." I murmured.

"Please?" He insisted.

"Fine. You go. I'll stay here a little bit longer."

"Thanks." He said and left the room.

"Why?" I asked.

"Because I'm fucking stupid, that's why." Said Ashley bursting into tears.

I rushed and sat beside her, hugging her.

"I'm sorry." Said Mike.

"Are sorry that we got caught or that you kissed me?"

Mike looked away.

"…or that you destroyed my life?"

"Ash, don't say that."

"They will never forgive me, Sam. Neither Chris or Jessica."

"Why are you still here?" She asked turning to Mike.

"Ashley…"

"Go." She ordered.

He got up and looked at her.

"Goodnight." He said before leaving.

"It's pretty late… I should be going too."

"Please don't. Don't leave me. Not you too." She said as tears streamed down her face.

"I won't." I said and took her hand in mine.

"Promise?"

"Promise."

…

When I returned home, Josh greeted me with a reassuring embrace.

"Stay strong." He whispered before he left to make breakfast, leaving Chris and me alone.

"You stayed with Ashley." He said, not looking at me.

"Yeah."

"H-how was she?"

"A wreck."

"Do you think that she is really sorry?"

"Yes, I do."

"She loves you Chris." I added after some time.

"Then why, Sam?"

"I… I don't know."

"What would you do?" He asked me after some thinking.

I sighed.

"I know you love her Chris. And I know that you already miss her."

"Your point?"

"You love her enough to have faith in a second chance."

"You think that'll work?"

"I don't know."

"You think she deserves a second chance?"

"She made a stupid mistake, Chris. And she will be punished for it by losing Jess; she doesn't need to lose you as well."

"You think Jess won't forgive her?"

"For now? I'm certain she won't."

"Call her here." He blurted after some silence.

"What?"

"Call Ashley to come here. I need to talk to her before we talk to Jess."

….

ASHLEY POV

"Hey…" I whispered as I walked into the room.

"Hey." Said Chris.

"I will leave you two alone." Said Sam and left the room.

"You-um… you wanted to talk to me?"

"Yeah, I did…"

"So…"

"I wanted you to know, that I don't hate you."

" _You don't?"_ I asked my voice cracking.

"I still love you, Ash…"

Tears welled up my eyes.

"… but I need time to heal up. And you need to know that some wounds never heal, no matter how much time passes."

"Will we try?"

Chris nodded slowly and I found my self jumping on him and hugging him. He hugged me back and I started crying.

"I'm so sorry."

"I love you _so_ much."

I kept repeating those two sentences over and over.

"I know…" He whispered and placed a small kiss on my forehead.

SAM POV

"I think they worked it out…" I said after the voices stopped coming from the living room.

"Well, he hasn't forgiven her yet. He just wanted to make her feel better."He said passing me a plate. "Pancake?"

"Thanks. It's delicious." I said after taking a bite.

"So, you think he won't forgive her?" I asked after a few bites.

"He loves her Sam… But some times, that's just not enough."

I remained silent for a while.

"How do you think will happen with Jess and Mike?"

"They will break up." He said and put a piece of a pancake in his mouth.

"Josh…." I whispered.

"Yeah?"

He looked at me, right in they eyes.

"I can't lose you again." I whimpered, my voice cracking.

"You won't."

He pulled me into an embrace.

"Do you love me?" I whispered.

"More than my own life."

…..

"You should sit down."

"Wh-why? What's wrong Mike?"

…

"I am _so_ sorry Jess-"

"Don't you dare talk to me you filthy man-eater!"

" _Jess_ …"

"Stay out of it, Sam."

"Hey, it's not Sam's fault." Said Mike.

"Of course it's not! She wasn't the one who cheated on me."

"Jessica, please…"

"No, Mike. We. Are. Done."

"Babe, don't do this." He said putting his hand on her arm.

"First, I am not your _babe._ And second, never touch me again."

"And _you…_ " She turned to Ashley.

"I think it's pretty obvious, but I'll say it, just to be sure it has been imprinted in your _tiny_ brain. I don't want to see your face ever again."

"Jessica, I am your best friend… I just made a stupid mistake-"

"You _WERE_ my best friend. Learn some proper English you stupid _bitch_!"

After shouting that, she stormed out of my bungalow leaving us in silence.

"She'll never forgive me." Said Ashley, tears running down her face.

And nobody could argue with that.

 ** _A/N: Please spend some of your time to write feedback. It is very appreciated. Also, i know you hate me for making you wait soon long. I try, I really try. But sometimes things just dont work. Anyway, stay tuned loves._**


	25. Chapter 24

**_A/N: New chapter, where things get really complicated. I hope you enjoy it, and if you do, follow and favorite please._**

Four days have past since Ashley and Mike came clean. Chris had asked for a break in order to have some time to think. Chris pretended that things were borderline fine, but he didn't take it lightly. He said that alcohol helped him think better. At least, he wasn't wasted 24/7. Jessica on the other hand took the whole thing pretty hard. Alcohol made her unable to think, and that was exactly what she wanted. She wanted the pain to fade away. Nobody has talked to her in those four days.

"Jess, it's me, Sam." I said knocking at the bungalow door.

Mike had decided to leave the bungalow to Jessica and go to a room instead- well, a suite, but still less luxurious than the bungalow.

"Jessica! Open the door." I shouted.

After some more knocking, I decided to use the second key Mike gave to me after they broke up.

I unlocked the door and walked in. The house was a complete mess. Empty bottles were all over the place, along with some clothes, which weren't Jessica's, at least not all of them. My discovery made me want to investigate the bedroom.

"Jess!" I shouted after walking in the bedroom.

She was naked on the bed having sex with a guy. The guy got startled when he saw me and jumped off the bed, quickly putting his jeans on.

"What the hell do you want?" Asked Jess, who was wasted.

"I- I will call you…" Said the guy leaving the bedroom half-naked.

"Wait; don't leave!" Shouted Jess, but he was already gone.

I sat on the bed next to Jessica.

"Jess, why are you doing this?"

"Doing what? Enjoying single life?"

"Single life is about having sex with everybody that is willing to."

"Yeah, you are right. By Mike's code, that is what it means to be in a relationship."

"Hey, I am not trying to excuse him-"

"But you are trying to excuse that whore."

"Jess! Ashley made a mistake."

"A _mistake?_ She didn't lose something I lent her, Sam. She screwed my _at the time_ boyfriend! And she was my best friend."

" _Jess…_ " I said looking down, knowing she was kind of right.

"You don't understand Sam." Tears started welling up in her eyes. "Everyone betrayed me. My _boyfriend._ My _best friend._ Hell, even _you_ did Sam." Tears fell down her cheeks.

"I wanted to tell you, I did. For a period of time I hated Ashley; for what she did to you, to _us._ "

"What changed?"

"I saw that she was truly sorry. That it was Mike's fault."

"That is not enough." She said coldly.

"I saw how much she hated herself and realized she didn't need anyone else hating her."

Jess looked at me and was about to respond, when she puked on the empty bed next to her,

"For god sake Jess, you need to stop drinking."

I helped her up and led her to the bathroom, where she cleaned herself.

"Thanks, but you can leave now. I don't need a babysitter."

"The whole crew is having an outing tonight at the beach bar. Come; it will be good for you."

"Whole crew? Chris is spending time with Ashley? Isn't he mad?"

"He asked for a break in their romantic relationship, but they will probably get back together."

"So he forgave her?"

"Kind of; he needs more thinking time."

" _Huh…"_

"I will see you tonight, Jess. Clean and _sober_."

"Yeah, yeah."

….

"I swear they will be the end of me." I said while Josh brought us some drinks.

"Then leave them solve their own mess alone, babe. Let's go somewhere far, just us two." He said kissing me on the neck.

"Are you asking me to run away with you?"

"I guess… We both need some personal space."

"Sorry, but I can't just abandon my friends. God… I am scared of what fresh hell will happen tonight."

"I am sure it can't get any worse, don't worry."

I sighed and took a big gulp out of my glass.

"Hey…" Said Josh taking away my glass and placing it on the coffee table alongside with his.

"Alcohol won't make you feel better." He whispered in my ear.

"You have any ideas what might?"

"One or two." He said pulling me into a kiss.

As we passionately kissed, he removed my shirt.

"Have I told you how gorgeous you are?"

He started peppering kisses all over my exposed skin. I cupped his face and brought his lips to mine.

"I think we should take _this_ to the bedroom." I whispered as he kissed my neck.

Instantly, he raised me from the couch and carried me to our bedroom.

JESSICA'S POV

I had showered, was wearing some nice sexy clothes (and underwear of course) and was heading towards a certain hotel room. Yes, I was still quite drunk but as long as I didn't puke, it would be fine.

I knocked on the door a few times before it opened.

"Hey." I said trying to be seductive.

"Hey…" He said surprises written all over his face.

"May I come in?"

"Of course." He said moving aside.

"To what do I owe the visit?" He asked me sitting on his bed.

"Well…" I said with a mischievous smile.

…

Our lips collided and I tasted whiskey. However I wasn't sure if it was from my lips or his. His hands ran through my long blonde hair as I unbuttoned his shirt. He pulled me closer and kissed me hard, unzipping my super short beach dress in the process. I helped him out of shirt and then pushed him down on the bed. I then walked off my dress, reviling my Victoria Secret underwear, and kicked off my heels.

"Damn." He said as he looked at me.

I smiled before straddling him and getting lost in a passionate kiss.

SAM'S POV

"Where are the others?" Asked Ashley when she saw me sitting at the bar alone.

"Matt and Em cancelled last minute. The others might just be late."

"Josh?"

"He will be a little bit late. His favorite series has it's season finale tonight and he wants to watch it."

The bartender, who looked awfully familiar, approached us.

"What would you two charming ladies want."

"I would like a fruity cocktail with no alcohol, please." Said Ashley smiling.

The bartender smiled at her before turning at me.

"And you?" He said a bit coldly.

"I would like a mojito."

He was about to go make our drinks when I caught his hand.

"Wait, I know you."

"You must have mistaken me." He said jerking his hand away.

"Weren't you the guy that I walked in on with Jessica?" I whispered.

"I don't know what you are talking about." He said harshly before walked away.

"What did you tell him?" Ashley asked me, noticing his weird behavior.

"Nothing. How are things going with Chris?" I asked, trying to change the topic.

Her face lit up.

"He is a bit distant, but I understand that he needs his time. Sam, he might be able to forgive me. Can you believe that?" She asked with pure excitement in her voice.

"He loves you Ashley."

Ashley smiled. But the smile didn't stay on for long. All of her blood and color disappeared from her face as she looked at two figures.

"B-bartender!" She said catching his attention. "I would like to change my order. Bring me vodka."

She looked back at them, as they were approaching us.

"And leave the bottle."

 ** _A/N: So? What do you think? Feedback is highly appreciated._**


	26. Chapter 25

**A/N: Hello guys. I know you probably hate me by now and I now how many times I have said that, but I really didn't feel like writing for a very long time. I'm sorry for making you wait so much for this chapter. I'll try VERY hard to finish this fic (I already have an ending in mind). I wanted to let you know that it were the amazing reviews by you awesome guys that made me want to get back to this.**

Jess approached us, his arm around her waist.

Ashley emptied her glass at once.

"Hello guys." Said Jess with a big wide smile. "Sorry we are late. We were _busy_." She said giggling, pulling him into a kiss.

Ashley now took a big gulp from the bottle.

"Where are the others?" He asked.

Neither I or Ashley could talk.

After sometime of staring at each other, I got up.

"Can I talk to you? _Privately_?" I asked pulling him aside.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" I asked him once we were alone.

"Nothing."

"Nothing?! You had _sex_ with _Jess!_ "

"So…?"

"You are drunk."

"Is that wrong as well?"

"What were you thinking, Chris?"

"How it was only fair to make them feel betrayed like we felt."

"So this is _payback_?"

"To a small extent, yeah."

"God, Chris! What has gotten into you? It was her idea, wasn't it?"

"Maybe…"

"Do you love Ashely?" I asked after sometime.

"Yes…"

"Then why? Why hurt her so much. Did you see her?"

" _I_ hurt _her_?! What about her _CHEATING_ on me, Sam. She can screw Mike, but I can't screw Jess. How is that fair?"

"She didn't do it to hurt you, unlike you!"

"Stop blaming me. She ruined our relationship."

"Oh my god! How are you so blind?!"

"What do you mean?"

"Can't you see that Jessica has planted all those ideas in your head? Her relationship is screwed so she wants to destroy yours too."

Chris looked away to think, but then shook his head.

"No, Sam. You might be right to some extent but everything Jessica said is true."

….

"What were you two talked about for so long?" Asked Jess, quickly going to Chris' side, when we returned.

Ashley looked even more miserable than before and half the bottle was empty. Mike, who must have arrived at the time I was away with Chris, was holding a drink in his hand, his expression blank and bored.

"So, may I ask something?" Asked Mike catching our attention. "Was _that_ a one night stand or is it serious."

 _"One night stand" "Serious"_ They said at the same time and then looked at each other.

"Jessica, we never talked about a relationship." Said Chris sternly.

"But, but…"

"We just said we would do it one time to make us even."

"Yeah, but I-"

"I am sorry Jess, but I don't want a relationship with you; I only see you as a friend." Chris said softly.

"You certainly didn't feel that way when you had sex with me, literally two hours ago." She shouted.

"It meant nothing, Jessica. I'm really sorry if I didn't make it clear enough."

Tears run down Jessica's cheeks.

"Of course… Nobody cares about me; why would they? I am not worth to be loved."

That statement left everyone silent for a short period of time.

"Jess, that's not true. You are just drunk again…" I eventually said with a sigh.

Jessica let out a laugh.

"What are you going to do about it, huh? Sent me to my room?"

"Jessica, Sam is right. And that, is a sign that people -we- care about you." Mike said, placing his hand on her shoulder.

To everyone's surprise Jessica softened at his touch.

"But you cheated on me." She whispered.

"I did. But that wasn't because of you, Jess. I guess, I just can't be in a relationship like that." He told her, moving closer to her.

It was obvious that he cared about her. Mike loved Jess. In his own messed up way, but he did.

"I cheated on Emily with you and now look at her. She's got Matt and she is happy… You will be too, Jess. Just give it some time." He added, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

"You've got an awful way to cheer people up, you know." She said with a weak smile.

"That's who I am. Love me or hate me. Now, let me take you back to your hotel room."

Jessica looked at us before agreeing and getting up. After some time, I was left alone with Chris and Ashley.

"Sam, this gathering wasn't such a good idea." She mumbled. "I should get going."

"You guys!" I exclaimed, extremely frustrated at that point. "Can't you see that you love each other? Ashley, Chris slept with Jessica to make you jealous, because he loves you. And Chris, Ashley made a huge mistake when she slept with Mike. Her actions hurt her more than you, because she loves you. Why can't you just see that?!"

They both stared at me and after a while at each other.

"I do love Ashley, yes. But that doesn't mean that I forgive her or that I am ready to be with her." He said, before disappearing into the crowd.

"Why?" She asked miserably. "Why am I so stupid? I had everything and now I'm left with nothing."

I was about to respond, when I felt a hand on my shoulder.

"Hey, what did I miss?" Josh asked. "Wait, where is everyone?"

Both Ashley and I left out a sigh.

"How was the season finale?" I asked, trying to change the topic.

"It was good, but we can talk about it later. What the hell happened here?"

Before I could say anything, Ashley got up from the bar.

"It's been a long night; I'd like to go to my room."

"Do you want me to come with you?" I asked her, concern evident in my voice.

"No. I'll be fine by myself." She said and left too.

"Can somebody explain to me what happened?"

…

Josh and I had returned to our bungalow and I had filled him in with all the details about the messed up relationship of our friends.

"Sam, I understand that they are your, _our,_ friends but these are their problems, not yours." He spoke softly, his eyes locked on mine. "Let them solve them by themselves."

I didn't know what to say, so I just let my head fall on his shoulder with a deep sigh. Josh wrapped his arm around me, pulling closer to him, my head resting on his sternum now.

"Let's go." Josh said after a long time of silence.

"Where?" I laughed softly, curious about what he meant.

"Let's escape from this mess we are trapped into." He was being dead serious. It wasn't daydreaming anymore, it had turned into planning. "There is this place, where I stayed when everyone thought I was dead…" He trailed off, obviously still sensitive to that part of his life. "I'm sure you will love it."

I lifted my head and met his face, signs of tiredness and frustration all over it. If Josh looked like that, how did I? Completely torn off probably.

He was right. They might be my friends, but support goes only too far. If I stay around them any longer I will get sick.

"Okay."

 **A/N: I'm thinking of a small road trip before they reach their destination. This will be completely JoshxSam for most part. Leave your suggestions and feedback in the reviews. You have no idea how much I appriciate that. Much love**

 **Much love,**

 **-Witch of Writing.**


	27. Announcement

Hello, my dear readers. It has been because of your support and encouragement that I continued to write, even when I didn't feel like it. And I am grateful for that. That and many others, such as your kind words and how you didn't give up on me, despite never being able to finish a story. Well, guess what? I did. It's an original story I'm going to publish to Wattpad (one chapter per day) and it would mean the world to me if you could go check it out and leave a comment. It's a project I've been working on for a while now and I would be delighted to find out that you like it. It is loosely based on "The Butterfly Effect" since I got the inspiration for it while writing that fanfiction. Again, I can't stress enough how much it would mean to me if you read it and shared your thoughts with me.

WHAT IF? - **by thedeepblueseaa**


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